MLB Baseball Betting: Toronto Blue Jays at Houston Astros
The Toronto Blue Jays’ stay in first place was short lived–for now at least. The Baltimore Orioles have regained the top spot in the NL East with a 6-2 victory over Toronto on Sunday. The Boston Red Sox also won putting them 1 game back of the Blue Jays in third place. The New York Yankees also lost on Sunday leaving them 7 games back of Baltimore and 6.5 games back of Toronto. Toronto will now travel to Houston to face one of baseball’s most enigmatic teams. At home, Houston is very good with a 32-21 record. On the road, not so much–23-28 which leaves them at 55-49 6 games back of the first place Texas Rangers in the AL West. Houston was swept by the Tigers at Detroit over the weekend and thus enters this contest on a three game losing streak.
The $64,000 question for this game is who will start for Houston. It’s Doug Fister’s turn in the rotation but he and his wife are awaiting the birth of their first child. Since the game is in Houston he might be able to start or he might not. He’s yet to ‘officially’ go on paternity leave but that’s a lot for a pitcher to have on his mind. Additionally, he might have to leave the game quickly should his wife go into labor. Fister remained in Houston with his wife during the weekend series at Detroit. The most likely scenario is that pitching prospect Joe Musgrove will make his MLB debut. He was scratched from his scheduled start with Triple A Fresno on Saturday and it might make more sense to give him a shot instead of a distracted Fister. Houston’s manager, A.J. Finch, is staying mum if he knows who’ll start saying of Fister: “Until my phone lights up with a text or a call from him, we’re sort of status quo.”
In any case, we’ll give the edge to Toronto here. They’ve won 9 of their last 13 against opponents with winning records and have hit right handed pitching well this year hitting .260 and averaging 5.5 runs per game. On the year they’re 44-30 +5.4 units against right handers and no matter whether they face a distracted Fister or a nervous Musgrove they look like the right side.
BET TORONTO BLUE JAYS OVER HOUSTON ASTROS
