Sonny Gray, one of this season’s toughest pitchers, is set to take the mound for the Minnesota Twins (31-32) as they match up against the Toronto Blue Jays (36-28) at Rogers Centre on Friday for the first of a three-game series.
The Twins are in the midst of a six-game road trip. They are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays, dropping the finale 4-2 on Thursday at Tropicana Field for their fifth straight loss. Carlos Correa was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Michael A. Taylor added a solo home run. The Blue Jays are in the midst of a seven-game homestand. They won three of four against the Astros in their last series, taking the finale 3-2 on Thursday at Rogers Centre. Brandon Belt went 1 for 3 with one RBI.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Blue Jays have won two of three in the season series between the teams, including a 3-0 victory in their most recent meeting on May 28 at Target Field. Jose Berrios threw 5.2 scoreless innings to get the win, and Jordan Romano struck out the side in the ninth for his 12th save.
ON THE MOUND
Gray (4-1, 2.15 ERA) is slated for the start for Minnesota. The right-hander ranks third in the AL in ERA. Gray allowed three runs over 6.2 innings in his last start, a 4-2 road defeat against the Guardians on Saturday. He took the loss, yielding 10 hits while striking out two.
Gray is making his first appearance against the Blue Jays this season. Gray made one start against the Blue Jays in 2022, a 9-3 home loss on August 4. He allowed one hit over five scoreless innings, striking out five and walking five.
For Toronto, southpaw Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.40 ERA) will take the mound. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Twins. Kikuchi made one start against the Twins in 2022, throwing 4.2 innings in a 9-3 home defeat on June 3.
He gave up seven hits while striking out six in the loss. In his last start on Sunday, Kikuchi took a no-decision on the road against the Mets. He threw five innings and gave up two runs on four hits, striking out eight and walking one in the 6-4 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The Minnesota offense is averaging 4.3 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .229/.311/.395. Byron Buxton leads the team in OPS at .771. The center fielder is slashing .220/.325/.445 with 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 31 runs over 50 games.
Over the last five games, however, Minnesota has averaged only 1.2 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.166/.216/.280). Against southpaws like Kikuchi this season, the Twins have a .680 OPS, the fifth lowest in the league.
Donovan Solano is the team’s strongest performer against left-handers with a .818 OPS in 50 at-bats. Toronto is slashing .263/.333/.423 for the season and averaging 4.6 runs per game. Bo Bichette leads the team with a .886 OPS.
The shortstop has 14 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 37 runs scored with a slash line of .326/.359/.527. The Jays have a .769 OPS against righties in 2023, the fourth highest in MLB. With a .891 OPS over 129 at-bats, Kevin Kiermaier has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Minnesota is on a three-game losing streak away from Target Field, bringing their record to 13-18 in 2023. The Twins have scored 4.0 runs per game away from home while allowing 3.7 runs. Toronto has won three in a row at Rogers Centre.
The Jays are 18-11 at home this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 3.6. Minnesota is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings at Rogers Centre with an average scoreline of 6.4-4.2.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Twins lead the AL Central by one game over the Guardians. The Blue Jays are fourth in the AL East, nine games behind the Rays.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Toronto Blue Jays (-125)
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