Toronto Blue Jays vs
Texas RangersPredictions & Preview

Texas Rangers Seek Sweep Against Toronto Blue Jays in Crucial Playoff Race Showdown

The Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays will face off in the final game of their three-game series on Thursday, September 19th. The Rangers have won the first two games and are looking to complete the sweep. Both teams are still in the playoff race but are facing an uphill battle, being several games behind in both their division and the wild-card race with only 10 games left in the season. The game is scheduled to start at 2:35 P.M. EST, with Kevin Gausman (ERA: 4.02) starting for the Blue Jays and Kumar Rocker (ERA: 2.25) starting for the Rangers. Texas is the favorite to win, opening at -110 and currently at -126.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Blue Jays +114 | Rangers -126
• Spread: Blue Jays +1.5 (-190) | Rangers -1.5 (+165)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Texas will win straight-up is 56%.

Toronto vs Texas Stats

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are currently 72-80 overall this season, placing them in last in the American League East division by a significant margin. They are also eight games off of a wild card spot with only 10 games left to play in the season. Despite winning four of their last seven games, they suffered a 2-0 loss to the Rangers in their most recent game on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Starting pitcher Bowden Francis pitched six innings, allowing two runs and five hits in the defeat. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman in their upcoming game, who has a 12-11 record this season with an ERA of 4.02. Toronto has a 9-5 record in road games when Gausman starts and he has a 2.67 ERA in road games. The Blue Jays have a .243 batting average this season, ranking 15th in the league, with the sixth fewest home runs hit and the sixth fewest strikeouts. They are hitting .240 in road games and .255 since the All-Star break, with a .257 batting average in September, their best month of the season. In terms of power rankings, Toronto ranks 17th in offense, scoring an average of 4.26 runs per game, and 22nd in defense, allowing an average of 4.63 runs per game against them. They currently hold a record of 71-80.

Texas Rangers Analysis

The Texas Rangers currently have a record of 73-79 and are in third place in the American League West division, trailing the Astros by nine games. They are also seven games back in the wild card race with 10 games left in the season. In their last game, the Rangers beat the Blue Jays 2-0 with Adolis Garcia hitting a two-run homer and Cody Bradford pitching seven scoreless innings. Highly touted prospect Kumar Rocker recently made his major league debut for the Rangers, impressively allowing just one run in four innings in his first start. The team is hitting .238 this season, ranking poorly in various offensive categories. Despite having a power ranking of 22, the Rangers are currently ranked 21st in offense and defense. In their most recent matchups, Toronto won 2 out of 3 against Texas.

Blue Jays favored to dominate over Rangers in pitching matchup

The Texas Rangers are set to start rookie Kumar Rocker, who showed promise in his debut last week with a strong four-inning performance. However, the Toronto Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman, who boasts an impressive 2.67 ERA in road games. The Blue Jays hold a 9-5 record when Gausman pitches away from home. Additionally, Toronto's offense is currently excelling, hitting .257 this month - their best performance of the season. In contrast, the Rangers have struggled offensively in the second half, hitting just .233 since the All-Star break. Despite Rocker's potential, it is unlikely that Texas will be able to keep up with Toronto's strong performance. Based on these factors, the Blue Jays are the recommended choice to cover in this matchup.

Sources: [ 1 ]