The Toronto Blue Jays take on the Cincinnati Reds in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday, August 20. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. ET from Great American Ball Park. Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-1, 2.57 ERA) will take the mound for the Blue Jays, while Hunter Greene (2-4, 3.93 ERA) will pitch for the Reds in his long-awaited return from the IL.
Toronto enters as narrow -112 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Cincinnati coming in at -108. The total is set at 9.
Blue Jays-Reds picks: Sunday, August 20
Injury report
Blue Jays
Out: SS Bo Bichette (right patellar tendinitis), RP Trevor Richards (neck inflammation), OF Kevin Kiermaier (right elbow laceration)
Reds
Out: SP Hunter Greene (right hip), 2B Jonathan India (left foot plantar fasciitis), SP Ben Lively (right pectoral strain), OF Jake Fraley (stress fracture in left fourth toe), C Curt Casali (left foot contusion)
Starting pitchers
Hyun Jin Ryu vs. Hunter Greene
Ryu recently returned to the Majors after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and has been a nice addition to the Jays’ rotation. In his latest start, the lefty lasted five innings on the mound against the Cubs. Chicago scored twice, but Ryu didn’t add any earned runs to his total, and he struck out three batters. Before that, he kept the Guardians runless over four innings.
Greene returns for Cincinnati for the first time since mid-June after being on the IL with a hip injury over the last two months. It’s hard to tell how the hard-throwing righty will perform, but we can expect that the Reds won’t keep him in for too long in his first start back. He has not pitched against Toronto this season. The Reds’ bullpen ERA is 3.97.
Over/Under pick
The totals of the first two games of the series were 1 and 7, so let’s go ahead and keep betting on that trend. Ryu should be able to keep the Reds in check, and the Blue Jays haven’t been hitting big this series, either. Greene was on a roll before he went on the IL.
Pick: Under 9
Moneyline pick
The Reds won the first game of the series, 1-0, and the Blue Jays took the second, 4-3. I like the road team for the third game here. Ryu has been very solid on the mound since his return, and the Reds’ once-hot offense has cooled off enough to control. With Greene still shaking off the rust, I’m comfortable betting on Toronto here.
Pick: Blue Jays -112