Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 9/22/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Toronto Blue Jays vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, September 22, 2022

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

The Toronto Blue Jays (84-64) are hitting the road to Tropicana Field on Thursday where they will meet the Tampa Bay Rays (82-66). The expected starting pitchers are Jose Berrios and Ryan Yarbrough.

Toronto is slugging .429 and have been rung up 1,130 times, while being walked on 453 occasions. They have 688 runs batted in as well as 1,332 hits for the season, while their batting average is sitting at .262. The Blue Jays have accounted for 291 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 179 baseballs out of the stadium. They have 704 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .327. As a unit, the Toronto Blue Jays are knocking in 4.8 runs per game, which is 5th in the league.

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The Blue Jays have a team earned run average of 3.93 this season (14th in MLB), and their staff has struck out 1,268 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 384 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 3.92 as a unit so far this year. They have accumulated a K/BB ratio of 3.30 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.24. Blue Jays pitchers have allowed 173 home runs and 628 runs (13th in baseball).

Blue Jays pitchers have stepped onto the hill with runners on 147 times as well as having 171 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have recorded 84 holds so far this season (9th in the league). The Blue Jays relievers have compiled a save rate of 64.6% and has entered the game in 152 save situations. They have accumulated 42 saves over the course of the season and have blown 23 out of their 65 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 226 runners this year and 24.3% of them crossed home plate. The Blue Jays have dispatched 534 relievers to the mound over the course of the season.

The Toronto Blue Jays have notched a total of 3,957 putouts thus far, in addition to 1,225 assists and 72 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .986 which puts them in 10th in baseball, and they have turned 113 double plays. The Blue Jays have turned 69.3% of balls in play into outs out of 11,871 innings, which ranks them 17th in MLB.

Berrios has pitched in 1,010 innings and has earned 993 strikeouts during his career. His earned run average is 4.19 (470 ER's allowed) and his career WHIP is 1.246. He has surrendered 954 hits (8.5 hits per 9 innings) and has 305 free passes. Berrios (71-52 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a FIP of 4.06 while he has gone up against 4,276 opposing batters in the majors.

The Rays have a SLG% of .381 and they are scoring 4.18 runs per game (20th in the league). They have 269 doubles, while taking a walk 454 times as well as putting up 619 runs. Tampa Bay has accounted for 130 home runs over the course of the season as well as 590 RBIs. They have been called out on strikes on 1,266 occasions (12th in MLB) and have tallied 1,199 hits. The Tampa Bay Rays have a team on-base percentage of .310 in addition to a team batting average of .242 on the year.

The Rays have a team WHIP of 1.135 and have a FIP of 3.64 as a unit so far this season. They rank 5th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,147. The Tampa Bay pitching staff have allowed 555 runs on the year while holding a team ERA of 3.35 (490 earned runs relinquished). Their K/BB ratio is 3.68 (1,278 strikeouts vs 347 walks). They have surrendered 156 dingers and they yield 3.80 runs per 9 innings (7th in MLB).

Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 75 save chances and they have recorded 43 saves. They rank 22nd in the league with a save percentage of 57.3%, and they have sent 525 relievers to the mound for the year. Their relief pitchers have taken the field 182 times in high leverage situations and on 127 occasions with runners on. Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score rate of 24.6% out of their 171 inherited runners. With 188 save situations, the Rays have accrued 111 holds in addition to 32 blown saves.

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 99 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .986 (17th in the majors). The Rays have accrued 1,255 assists, 76 errors and have accounted for 3,950 putouts during this campaign. Out of their 11,850 innings on the diamond, the Rays have earned a defensive efficiency of 70.9% (5th in professional baseball).

In his pro baseball career, Yarbrough has surrendered 563 base hits while he has accumulated 466 strikeouts in 578 innings pitched. Yarbrough (39-31 career record) has a 4.31 ERA and has conceded 8.8 hits per 9 innings. He has given up a total of 277 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.198 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.1. His K/BB ratio is 3.58 and he has faced 2,426 batters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Toronto

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