• Our Blue Jays vs Twins pick analyzes Toronto trying for a 3-game sweep against fellow AL Wild Card contender Minnesota
  • Both teams had mediocre starts, but have played better recently to get into the postseason mix
  • Toronto starts Bowden Francis; Minnesota responds with Joe Ryan
Team Moneyline Total
Toronto Blue Jays +153 O 8.5 (+100)
Minnesota Twins -169 U 8.5 (-120)

The Jays Are Searing Hot

Toronto has won nine of 10 and the first two games of their series in Minnesota. It has been quite a turnaround for the Blue Jays, who, before their hot streak, were one of the most disappointing teams in MLB. Now, they’re in the middle of the AL Wild Card race and have crawled to within five games of the first-place Yankees.

For the third game of this series, they send Bowden Francis to the mound. Francis is coming off a woeful start against the Phillies in which he gave up 6 earned runs and 7 hits in 1.2 innings.

Overall, he has a 5.84 ERA in 57 innings. He epitomizes inconsistency, but can be effective in short spurts.

Francis has limited experience against the Twins’ hitters. Kody Clemens is 1 for 2 with a home run. Trevor Larnach is 1 for 1 with a homer.

The Jays have been short on power this season. George Springer leads the team with 10 and an .854 OPS. Bo Bichette has 8 and a .749 OPS. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has not had a major hot streak yet this season, though he has an .805 OPS.

The Blue Jays got hot almost simultaneously to Anthony Santander going on the injured list. He has been a bust of a free agent g with a .179 average and 6 home runs.

The Twins Have Lost 3 Straight

It’s difficult to simply push aside a 13-game winning streak when trying to put a team’s season into its proper context, but when looking at the Twins, it is relevant. But for that winning streak, they are nine games below .500. This week has exemplified their inconsistency as they have lost three consecutive games right after winning three consecutive games.

To try and salvage the third game of their series hosting the Blue Jays, they turn to Joe Ryan.

Ryan may be heading for an All-Star appearance with a 2.91 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts). He has given up 49 hits in 68 innings and 22 earned runs, walking only 12 and striking out 76.

For the Blue Jays against Ryan, Guerrero is 3 for 6 with a home run. Andres Gimenez is 5 for 22 with 2 doubles. Myles Straw is 5 for 16 with 2 doubles. Bichette is 2 for 6 with 2 singles. Springer is 1 for 3 with a double.

The Twins got a boost from Clemens when they purchased him from the Phillies, but he’s slowed down considerably. He still has a .908 OPS as a Twin with 6 home runs, but a market correction was inevitable given his journeyman career.

Correa has a .661 OPS and 5 home runs. Byron Buxton and Larnach are tied for the team lead in home runs with 10.

Blue Jays vs Twins Pick: Minnesota Salvages the 3rd Game of the Series

While Toronto has been playing excellent baseball, this is a highly favorable pitching matchup for Minnesota. Bowden is mediocre at best and is coming off an atrocious start in which he got knocked out of the box in the second inning. The Twins will take the third game of the series behind Ryan, avoiding a sweep.

Pick
Twins Moneyline (-169)
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Paul Lebowitz
Paul Lebowitz

Writer, Columnist

Paul is an experienced sportswriter and novelist from NYC with expertise in sports analysis and betting. His work has appeared on platforms like ESPN and YES Network, delivering engaging and objective insights to a diverse audience.

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