In general the lineups for both Detroit and Toronto should be considered throughout the four-game series July 7 to 10. That’s because the OVER was 16-5-1 in the last 22 meetings entering Thursday.
Toronto had scored five or more runs in seven of their last ten games. Detroit has done so in six of their last ten games. Do the math and, while we feel the Game Two total is a little high at 10, it’s still worth taking.
Friday’s game in particular features A.J. Happ pitching for Toronto and having allowed 21 for 78 hits against the current Detroit lineup including 12 extra base hits and four home runs.
Happ was superior against the Indians on Sunday, allowing just one run. Five of the last six games in which he has started have resulted in 11 runs or more (a lot more in the case of those other four games).
There is a reason why the total is set so high at 10 here.
Mike Pelfrey for Detroit has allowed 4 or more runs in four of his last six starts while the games have gone 12 or more runs in three of the last four in which he has started.
Palfrey just had his fourth quality start of the season in 17 trips to the mound, shaving his ERA back down to 4.78. We can’t help but think he won’t be quite as sharp on Friday.
Toronto had scored five or more runs in seven of their last ten games. Detroit has done so in six of their last ten games, ten or more in four of the last ten games. Do the math and, while we feel the Game Two total is a little high at 10, it’s still worth taking.
Troy Tulowitzki has hit 7 of 20 off of Palfrey including one home run while Ian Kinsler is 4 for 13 off of Happ with one home run. Kinsler is also 8-for-21 off of RA Dickey. Three of those were homers.
Nick Castellanos is 4 for 28 off of Dickey with a home run.
This matchup takes place on Sunday.
– Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com