Texas tries to avoid sweep at hands of Toronto
With their worries about lefty Francisco Liriano alieved, the Blue Jays can now return to the primary business at hand: knocking the Rangers out of the postseason.
The two clubs meet again tonight, with a 7:30 p.m. ET first pitch at Rogers Centre. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the hosts odds of -190 to complete a clean ALDS sweep. Jeff Banister’s bunch, on the other hand, represents a +170 underdog. The over/under run total holds steady at nine.
Discover an Easy Way to Make Big $$$$! Get 20% off. Call now! 1-866-491-0259
On Friday, Liriano was struck in the back of the head by a liner off the bat of Texas outfielder Carlos Gomez. While Toronto went on to claim the win, the health status of Liriano assumed first priority. Doctors later diagnosed him with a concussion, and he reportedly responded well to follow-up tests.
Skipper John Gibbons is currently working around an injury to one of his key position players, too. Second baseman Devon Travis missed Game 2 due to a sore right knee. The Blue Jays’ sparkplug at the top of the order won’t take the field shortly, either, having received a cortisone shot.
Such personnel losses put the onus on starter Aaron Sanchez (15-2, 3.00 ERA) to deliver a gem. In a pair of outings against the Rangers this year, however, the first-time All-Star went 0-0 with a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings. He endured a particularly tough outing on May 15, surrendering six runs across 6 2/3 frames at Globe Life Park.
The AL West champions answer with Colby Lewis (6-5, 3.71), who has experienced his own trouble with Toronto. He’s 3-6 with a 6.17 ERA in 13 career appearances vs. the class of the East Division. Most recently, though, Lewis allowed no earned runs during an extended assignment vs. Tampa Bay.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
Logic suggests an offensive bonanza in the Great White North. Still, the feast-or-famine approach adopted by both of these squads makes us leery of forecasting a double-digit score. Bank on the Blue Jays to advance to the next round in a tight one.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: RANGERS/BLUE JAYS UNDER 9 RUNS