Boston Red Sox Vs. Toronto Blue Jays (4/28/22) Starting Lineup, Betting Odds, Prediction

By Scott Steinberg | Apr 27, 2022, 5:30pm

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In 2021 the Boston Red Sox were 92-70, tied for second place in the American League East with the New York Yankees. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the Wild Card Game, 6-2. The Red Sox defeated the American League East champion, Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1 in the Division Series. Boston fell two games short of reaching the World Series, losing to the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox are +3000 to win their second World Series in five seasons. Boston is 7-11 in their first 18 games of the 2022 season. In 2021 the Toronto Blue Jays was 91-71, fourth in the American League East. Manager Charlie Montoyo in his fourth season as Blue Jays manager has won over 200 games as Toronto’s skipper. Through their first 18 games of 2022, Toronto is 12-6. The Blue Jays are +700 to win the 2022 World Series. Since their last championship in 1993, Toronto has made only three playoff appearances (2015, 2016 and 2020).

Boston Red Sox Vs. Toronto Blue Jays Betting Odds

The Red Sox have an all-time series lead over the Blue Jays, 380-308. Last season Boston won 10 out of 19 games against Toronto. In their last 13 matchups against right-handed starters the Red Sox are 3-10. Boston is listed at +1400 to win the American League pennant and +100 to make the 2022 post season. Toronto has won six out of their first eight home games this year. Through their first five meetings in 2022, the Blue Jays have beaten the Red Sox four out of five times. Toronto is currently the favorite to win the American League pennant at +330.

Boston Red Sox Starting Lineup

CF Kikè Hernandez R
3B Rafael Devers L
SS Xander Bogaerts R
DH J.D. Martinez R
LF Alex Verdugo L
1B Bobby Dalbec R
2B Trevor Story R
C Christian Vazquez R
RF Christian Arroyo R

Boston Red Sox Vs. Alex Manoah (R)

In 2021, Trevor Story hit .251 with 24 home runs, 75 runs batted in, 88 runs scored and an OPS of .801 for the Colorado Rockies. The two-time All-Star hit .234 with 15 home runs and 48 runs batted against right-handed pitching last season. In 2022, Story (who’s now playing second base) is hitting .231 in 52 at-bats with two doubles, five runs batted in, and five runs scored with 16 total bases. He has a slugging percentage of .308 and an OPS of .593 in his first season in Boston.

Third baseman, Rafael Devers made his first All-Star team in 2021. Last year, Devers batted .279, slamming 38 long balls and driving in a team leading 113 runs with a .538 slugging percentage and an OPS of .890. This year, he’s hitting .270 in 74 at-bats. Devers is tied for the team lead in home runs with three, has hit five doubles and driven in eight runs in 2022. Additionally, he has a .459 slugging percentage and an OPS of .749. Xander Bogaerts, a three-time American League All-Star, hit .295 with 23 home runs, 79 runs batted in with 261 total bases in 2021. This season, he’s hitting .362 (fourth in the American League) in 69 at-bats this season. Bogaerts has seven doubles, one home run, seven runs batted in with a team leading 35 total bases. He also has a .507 slugging percentage with an OPS of .888 in 2022.

Alex Verdugo played in 146 games last season, batting .289 with 13 home runs and 63 runs batted in. Against right-handers last year, he had an OPS of .893, .501 slugging percentage and 11 home runs. Verdugo is tied for the team lead in home runs with three and leads the Red Sox in runs batted in with 13 this year. He has a slugging percentage of .435 with an OPS of .741 in 2022. Spending most of his time as Boston’s designated hitter in the 2021 season, J.D. Martinez hit .286 with 28 home runs, 99 runs batted in, 295 total bases and a slugging percentage of .518. In 2022, Martinez is hitting .260 with seven doubles, a home runs, seven runs batted in with 23 total bases.

Alex Manoah has started three games and is 3-0 with an ERA of 2.00 in 2022. In 18 innings, he’s struck out 18 batters, allowing four earned runs with a 1.000 WHIP. Manoah has a career 12-2 record in only his second season in the big leagues in 23 starts with an ERA of 3.05. He’s struck out 145 hitters in 129 2/3 innings.

Toronto Blue Jays Starting Lineup

CF George Springer R
SS Bo Bichette R
1B Vladimir Guerrero R
LF Lourdes Gurriel R
3B Matt Chapman R
RF Raimel Tapia L
DH Zack Collins L
C Alejandro Kirk R
2B Santiago Espinal R

Toronto Blue Jays Vs. Garrett Whitlock (R)

In 2021, 23-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr., led the American League in home runs with 48 while hitting .311. He led the American League in the following categories, runs scored (123), OBP (.401), slugging percentage (.601), OPS (1.002), OPS+ (167) and total bases (363). This season he’s hitting .328 (21-64) with five home runs, 12 runs batted in with 38 total bases and an OPS of .994. Additionally, he has a slugging percentage of .594 with an OPS + of 189.

Bo Bichette is an outstanding young Toronto batter who led the American League in hits with 191 in 2021. Additionally, the 2021 All-Star batted .298 with 29 big flies, 102 runs batted in, 310 total bases with an OPS of .828. This season he has two doubles, two home runs, eight runs batted in with 24 total bases. In 2021, Matt Chapman slammed 27 home runs, drove in 72 runs, accumulated 213 total bases with an OPS of .716 while a member of the Oakland Athletics. To start the 2022 season, he has three doubles, three home runs, 10 runs batted in, 27 total bases with a .691 OPS.

George Springer entering his second year as a Blue Jay, hit .264 with 22 home runs and 50 runs batted in. The former Houston Astro has 19 hits in 66 at-bats this season; four home runs (second on the team), 10 runs batted in, 36 total bases (second on the Blue Jays) with an OPS of .879. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is hitting .292 in 65 at-bats this season with five doubles, two home runs, 10 runs knocked in and 30 total bases. Last season he hit .276 with 21 home runs and 84 runs batted in. Zach Collins who’s been mostly the designated hitter in 2022 is hitting .306 with three home runs, seven runs batted in with 22 total bases and an OPS of .935.

Garrett Whitlock has pitched in five games this season starting one, is 1-0 with a save and an ERA of 0.66 in 2022. This year he’s pitched 13 2/3 innings striking out 18 batters and has allowed one earned run.

Boston Red Sox Vs. Toronto Blue Jays Picks & Prediction

Offensively, the Red Sox are averaging 3.65 runs per nine innings, 23^rd in the majors, 20^th in batting average at .226 and an OPS of .620, 23^rd in the big leagues. Boston’s pitching staff is allowing 4.27 runs per nine innings, 20^th in Major League Baseball. Toronto is scoring 4.38 runs per game, 12^th in the majors. The Blue Jays are hitting .252 as a team (fifth in MLB) with an OPS of .737. Toronto’s pitching staff is allowing 3.93 runs per nine innings, 12^th in the majors. I like the favorite Blue Jays to win this game by over 1.5 runs and under nine runs combined. Toronto’s starter Alex Manoah has really been impressive allowing two runs per game this year.

Scott Steinberg

Scott has been a sports fan since he received a New York Mets jacket as a toddler. He’s been playing fantasy baseball and football for over 20 years, dating back to Frank Thomas being one of his first fantasy baseball picks. As a professional, he has covered the NFL, MLB, NCAAF, and NCAAB and is looked to as the go-to guy for fantasy sports amongst family, friends, and co-workers.