Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: Fenway Park, Boston, MA

When: Tuesday, April 9th at 2:00 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): Blue Jays TV: SportsNet, Red Sox TV: NESN, Blue Jays Radio: CJCL 590 AM, Red Sox Radio: WEEI, 93.7 FM

Team Notes

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays have some of the coldest bats in baseball, averaging just 2.64 runs per game through their opening 11 games of 2019.

After dealing some of their best veterans, the Blue Jays have begun their rebuild in earnest, waiting on prized prospect 3B Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. to make his debut in the coming weeks.

The Blue Jays currently have 250-1 odds to win the American League and 500-1 to take the World Series.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox began their season with a staggeringly awful 11-game road trip. The 2018 World Series Champs finished the trip with a 3-8 record.

After having one of the best offenses in baseball last season, the Red Sox hitters have gotten off to a slow start with averaging 4.18 runs per game, far below the league average of 4.51.

The Red Sox currently have 4-1 odds to win the American League and 8-1 to win the World Series for the 2019 season.

Pitcher Notes

Blue Jays: Matt Shoemaker (2-0, 0.00 ERA)

Shoemaker has been dynamic to open 2019. In 14 innings pitched, the 32-year old starter has only given up four hits, three walks, and no earned runs.

Perhaps Shoemaker has taken advantage of an easier schedule after pitching to Detroit and Baltimore, but it is hard to deny that his first two games have been nothing short of spectacular.

• Shoemaker has struck out 15 batters in 14 innings pitched this season.
• The Blue Jays righty has .091 batting average against in his first two starts.
• Going seven innings in each of his starts, Shoemaker threw 87 and 92 pitches in those wins.

Red Sox: Chris Sale (0-2, 8.00 ERA)

With a reduced velocity in the first two games, there are whispers that Chris Sale has a shoulder injury.

His last start, against Oakland, saw the left-hander only strikeout one batter in six innings, tying a career low. Sale relied on secondary pitches throughout the game, causing further concern that his shoulder may be damaged.

• Sale has struck out five hitters in nine innings this season, his career average strikeout per nine innings is 10.8.
• Despite the reduced velocity, Sale only gave up three hits to a solid Oakland lineup in six innings.
• After throwing 76 pitches in his first start, Sale threw 87 in his second outing of 2019.

Hitter Notes

Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto is 3-8 to open the season and that is primarily a result of a struggling offense that has only scored 29 runs this season.

With the trades of DH Kendrys Morales and OF Kevin Pillar, the lineup only has 1B Justin Smoak as an anchor to generate runs.

• 1B Justin Smoak is 6 for 27 against Chris Sale in his career with one home run.
• OF Randal Grichuk is 3 for 8 against the Red Sox lefty with one solo homer in his career.
• OF Teoscar Hernandez has limited success against Sale as he’s 2 for 8 with one lifetime home run.

Boston Red Sox

After a long and unsuccessful road trip to start the season, the Red Sox are happy to be back at Fenway Park where they went 57-24 last year.

In eleven 2019 games, the Red Sox share the worst record in the American League with Toronto at 3-8.

After finishing 25-14 in 2018 in one-run games, Boston has started 2-3 this season.

• OF Mookie Betts is 1 for 5 lifetimes against Shoemaker with one walk.
• DH J.D. Martinez is just 2 for 13 against the Toronto right-hander in his career.
• 1B Mitch Moreland is 3 for 7 against Shoemaker with a homer and five RBIs.

Roster Notes

Toronto Blue Jays

• Top prospect 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is rehabbing his oblique injury and should be up soon with the MLB club.
• 1B Justin Smoak is limited with a stiff neck that cost him multiple games in Cleveland last weekend.
• SP Clay Buchholz is starting a rehab assignment to build arm strength and could be with the team in a few weeks.

Boston Red Sox

• 2B Dustin Pedroia is rehabbing his knee in hopes of being back to the club in a couple of weeks.
• UT Brock Holt is going to miss a week with a scratched cornea after his son poked him in the eye.
• SP Steven Wright began serving an 80-game suspension for PED use, he’ll be eligible to return in late June.

Game Odds

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