Bounce Back Coming From Today's Starters

Phillies vs. Blue Jays, 3:07 ET

There are a surprising number of games taking place today on the diamond. We have a schedule of 13 games, which is a lot more than normal as Thursday is typically the travel day. This is kind of cool, though, because we get to enjoy baseball all day long instead of slogging through five to seven games. There was one postponed game added to today's slate, but that still would've given us a good amount. I'm pumped and ready to take on a late afternoon/early evening game between the Phillies and Blue Jays. 

I should preface this by saying that I'm not much of a Philadelphia fan. I don't have anything against the fans or people, but the city wasn't all that impressive when I visited - for example, the Love statue that people make a big deal about is like two feet tall. What I will certainly give the city is that it seems to know how to run a franchise. The 76ers had a bad year, but try to be competitive. The Eagles just won a Super Bowl and have been in a few in the last 10 years. The Phillies are one of the teams that is loaded with good players and is a threat each year to make it out of the National League and into the World Series. I wish I could say the same about my Chicago teams. Today's starter for Philly was reportedly pursued by the Cubs during the offseason, but they found something wrong with his physical and didn't sign him. Jesus Luzardo enters today with a 5-1 record, 3.58 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. I can't imagine many teams would be disappointed by that out of their third or fourth starter. His splits indicate that he is better on the road than at home, but in his last start, at home, he allowed 12 earned runs in 3.1 innings. Take that out, and it is pretty much in line with his 2.29 road ERA. Only George Springer and Myles Straw have seen Luzardo in action, and they are a combined 3-for-13 against him.

May 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) pitches during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

I've said this before, but the Blue Jays are a team that I don't actively root for, but I do pull for them. I'm for basically any team or franchise that tries to win games and looks to sign players to make them better. Toronto had a bright future for a while, but now it seems like year-to-year will be a battle. They are above .500 and currently sit in third place within the division. They probably won't battle much for that crown unless they get hot or maybe trade for some pieces before the deadline, but they should potentially fight for a Wild Card spot. One of the people who will determine that fate is today's starter, Chris Bassitt. Prior to his last two starts, Bassitt was pitching rather well. He entered May with a 2.62 ERA. It was at 2.83 before he allowed 10 earned runs over his past two games. Now he is sitting at a 3.80 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. Before his last start, he had allowed just five earned runs in 28 innings at home this season. Having pitched for the Mets for so long, he has seen a lot of these Phillies, and they are 35-for-131 against him. Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Trea Turner have good numbers against him, but Bryce Harper is batting just .091.

This is a game that could really go either way. Both pitchers are looking to bounce back from some poor outings. Both of them have been pretty reliable this season as well. The Phillies win this one if Luzardo gets back on track, and the Blue Jays win if Bassitt gets back on track. I think the game goes under again, though. Both pitchers should be sharp as I think they regain their form. I do lean to the Phillies winning through five and the Blue Jays winning the game, but it is a lean. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024