Bryan Armetta offers up a preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s MLB game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.
Postseason contenders are set to clash this evening for an interleague matchup. Since making a midseason managerial change, the Phillies (36-31) are one of the hottest teams in baseball. As for the Blue Jays (33-35), consistency has been hard to come by for the reigning American League champions. Toronto could make a major statement with a series-clinching victory over Philadelphia tonight.
The Phillies are favorites (-131) over the Blue Jays, with the over/under set at nine runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Wednesday’s showdown between Philadelphia and Toronto on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Despite middling offensive production, the Phillies remain firmly in playoff contention thanks to their pitching. On Wednesday, it’ll be Jesus Luzardo on the bump. Through 73.0 innings of work, the southpaw has notched a 4.56 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 80 strikeouts (9.9 K/9). Despite mediocre traditional numbers, there’s a lot to like about the 28-year-old this season. He ranks within the top 80th percentile in chase rate (34.2%), whiff rate (30.7%), hard-hit rate (29.6%) and ground-ball rate (50.0%). Luzardo has allowed two earned runs or less in four of his last five starts.
It’s not as if tonight’s opposition is particularly intimidating. As a unit, Toronto’s offense ranks 26th in wOBAcon (.346), 25th in on-base percentage (.312) and 24th in wOBA (.310). Power has been a serious struggle for this group in 2026. Offseason acquisition Kazuma Okamoto is the only player on the roster to hit double-digit home runs. To make matters worse, this light-hitting lineup hasn’t done well against southpaws. The Blue Jays have notched a .649 OPS against left-handed pitching, third-worst in baseball.
Taking the hill for Toronto in this one will be Max Scherzer. The future Hall of Famer has battled injuries throughout 2026. As a result, his season-long numbers have looked atrocious. Over 18.2 innings of work, he’s delivered a whopping 9.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and ten strikeouts. There’s reason to believe the 41-year-old can turn it around to some degree going forward. Still, it’s difficult for Blue Jays fans to get very excited about his recent performance. The right-hander has surrendered seven home runs over five starts so far.
Giving up the long ball isn’t a positive for any pitcher. That’s especially true when facing a power-laden Phillies lineup. This group has smacked 83 home runs this season, ninth-most in the sport. However, they rank 27th in baseball with 4.01 runs per game. To boot, Philadelphia has recorded the sixth-lowest OPS against right-handed pitching. Scherzer depends heavily on his fastball, throwing it on 47% of all pitches this season. His velocity on that offering usually tops out at 93 MPH. Against fastballs at that speed or slower, the Phillies are slashing .257/.363/.444.
Scherzer is a better pitcher than he’s shown up to this point. Regardless, this isn’t an ideal get right spot. Despite Philadelphia’s offensive struggles, this group is still capable of punishing fastballs. On the other side, Luzardo is due for some positive regression. Toronto’s power-starved lineup has had issues with lefties all season. Keeping that in mind, the Phillies appear poised for a road win tonight.
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