FREE CONTEST: Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians ($50 Prize!)
UPDATE: THE WINNER OF THE $50 AMAZON GIFT CARD IS vics****@outlook.com CONGRATULATIONS!
Oct 7, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber (28) pitches against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning during game two of the 2016 ALDS playoff baseball series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Prizing:
1st Place: $50 Amazon gift card
2nd-5th Place: $10 Starbucks gift card
Overview:
On Friday, October 14th, the (89-73) Toronto Blue Jays will be on the road to take on the (94-67) Cleveland Indians in game one of the American League Championship Series.
The Crowd:
“The Crowd” projects a final score of Blue Jays 4.0 – Indians 3.6 with an over/under of 7.6.
Starting Pitchers:
TOR- Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48) vs CLE- Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14)
Home vs Away:
The Indians were (53-28) at home this season whereas Toronto was (44-38) on the road.
Batting Stats:
Runs Scored: Indians 777 (5th) > Blue Jays 759 (9th)
Batting Average: Indians .262 (6th) > Blue Jays .248 (23rd)
On Base Percentage: Blue Jays .330 (6th) > Indians .329 (8th)
Total Bases: Indians 2356 (11th) > Blue Jays 2333 (13th)
Baserunning Stats:
Stolen Bases: Indians 134 (4th) > Blue Jays 54 (25th)
Pitching Stats:
Team Earned Run Average: Blue Jays 3.78 (6th) > Indians 3.84 (7th)
Batting Average Against: Blue Jays .242 (4th) > Indians .243 (5th)
Walks/Hits Per Innings Pitched: Blue Jays 1.23 (5th) > Indians 1.24 (6th)
Strikeouts: Indians 1398 (4th) > Blue Jays 1314 (13th)
Saves: Blue Jays 43 (15th) > Indians 37 (24th)
Fielding Stats:
Errors: Blue Jays 88 (10th) > Indians 89 (11th)
Summary:
It really is amazing how evenly matched these teams are and the stats bear that out. Cleveland won the season series (4-3) despite being outscored 38-24 in those seven games. Both starting pitchers have held the opposing batters to exactly a .281 average against but Cleveland is slugging nearly 160 points higher against Marco Estrada. Cleveland manager Terry Francona strategically picked Boston apart in the ALDS sweep with his masterful use of the bullpen. Toronto just bludgeoned Texas in their ALDS sweep.
On paper Cleveland would appear to have the advantage playing at home with a Cy Young candidate in Corey Kluber on the mound. If this is a close game, then Cleveland has the edge due to their strong bullpen. Another important factor is the significant advantage in the running game where Cleveland stole 80 more bases than Toronto. I like Cleveland to win game one with their ace on the mound.
**LISTEN HERE** to the latest edition of “The Berger Shop” podcast, sponsored by The Crowd’s Line. This week’s episode features an in depth discussion with VP of Octagon Sports: David Schwab.
Note:
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