Toronto Blue Jays (71-59) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (49-82)
September 3, 2022 6:35 pm EDT
The Line: Pittsburgh Pirates +142 / Toronto Blue Jays -175; Over/Under: +8
(Get latest betting odds)
The Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates meet Saturday in MLB action at PNC Park. The Toronto Blue Jays look for a win after splitting their last 8 games. The Pittsburgh Pirates need a win after losing 10 of their last 12 games.
The Toronto Blue Jays have scored 14 runs in their last 3 games and 4 or more runs in 5 of their last 8 games. The Blue Jays have won 5 of their last 6 games when scoring 4 or more runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the Blue Jays with 144 hits and 80 RBI, while Bo Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have combined for 265 hits and 119 RBI. Trevor Richards gets the ball, and he is 3-1 with a 4.53 ERA and 66 strikeouts this season. Richards is 1-1 with a 3.07 ERA and 8 strikeouts in his career against the Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have scored 5 runs in their last 3 games and 3 or fewer runs in 6 of their last 10 games. The Pirates have lost 20 straight games when scoring 3 or fewer runs. Bryan Reynolds leads the Pirates with 108 hits and 48 RBI, while Ke’Bryan Hayes and Michael Chavis have combined for 184 hits and 78 RBI. Roansy Contreras gets the ball, and he is 4-4 with a 3.57 ERA and 65 strikeouts this season. This will be Contreras’ first career game against the Blue Jays.
Trevor Richards is coming off a strong month of August, and he’s been at his best on the road than at home. Roansy Contreras has been respectable this season, and he’s allowed just 6 runs in his last 18 innings. The issue is the Pittsburgh Pirates can’t string together any offense and the losses are getting out of control. It’s hard to back the Pirates with confidence. Give me the Blue Jays and the RL for max betting value.
