The Toronto Blue Jays (72-59) are on the road to face the Pittsburgh Pirates (49-83) at PNC Park on Sunday with the visitors in position for a sweep of the three-game Interleague series. The Blue Jays lead the series 2-0 after winning 4-1 on Saturday, their fourth straight head-to-head victory. Yimi Garcia got the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief, and Jordan Romano earned his 29th save with a scoreless ninth. George Springer was 2 for 4 with one run in the win. Oneil Cruz went 2 for 4 with a triple and one RBI for the Pirates.
ON THE MOUND
Ross Stripling (6-4, 2.94 ERA) is slated for the start for Toronto. The RHP allowed three runs over six innings in his last start, an 8-3 home defeat against the Angels on August 28. He was charged with the loss, giving up seven hits while striking out six. Righty JT Brubaker (3-11, 4.39 ERA) will toe the rubber for Pittsburgh. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Blue Jays. In his last start on August 23, Brubaker took the loss at home against the Braves. He threw 6.2 innings and gave up six runs on nine hits, striking out eight and walking one in the 6-1 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Toronto has averaged 4.6 runs a game, equal to their season average. Against right-handed pitchers like Brubaker this season, the Jays have a .753 OPS, second highest in MLB. Alejandro Kirk is the team’s biggest on-base threat against right-handers with a .386 OBP in 425 at-bats. Pittsburgh is averaging only 2.2 runs per game in the last five, down from 3.5 for the season, with their slash line dropping across the board (.207/.257/.311). The Bucs have a .645 OPS against right-handers in 2022, third lowest in MLB. With a .806 OPS over 300 at-bats, Bryan Reynolds has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Toronto is on a five-game winning streak on the road, bringing their record to 34-30 in 2022. The Jays have scored 4.9 runs per game away from home, while allowing 3.8 runs. Pittsburgh has lost seven in a row at home. The Bucs are 26-38 at home this season, averaging 3.7 runs per game while surrendering 5.3. The teams have split their last eight games head-to-head at PNC Park, though Toronto has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.6-3.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Blue Jays are third in the AL East, six games behind the division-leading Yankees. They currently occupy one of the Wild Card spots, sitting third with a magic number of zero. The Pirates are fifth in the NL Central, 28 games behind the Cardinals.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Toronto Blue Jays (-200)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
