Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Pick – 8/19/2025
The Toronto Blue Jays will face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night at PNC Park. The Pirates took the first game of this series thanks to some solid pitching from start to finish on Monday night. Pittsburgh will look to pick up another upset win against the team leading the AL East. Here, I take a closer look at this interleague matchup and give you my Blue Jays vs Pirates prediction.
Our Blue Jays vs Pirates Pick
- Pick: Blue Jays -1.5
- Confidence: 3/5
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Date & Time: Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 6:40 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers: Max Scherzer (3-2, 3.83 ERA) vs Mitch Keller (5-11, 4.13 ERA)
- Stadium: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
- Broadcast: SportsNet PT and SNET
Key Storylines
Pitching Matchup
Max Scherzer brings a veteran presence to the mound on Tuesday night. He has a 3.83 ERA and has delivered strong performances in his last few turns in the rotation. That includes a one-run, seven-inning effort against the Cubs in his last start. Mitch Keller arrives with a higher ERA at 4.13 but he has lifted his team with wins in four of his last five starts. Keller has an opportunity to prove himself against a pitching legend in this matchup.
Key Players
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Guerrero drove in the first run of Monday’s game for the Blue Jays and he will look to be more productive to help his team on Tuesday.
- Bo Bichette: Bichette is Toronto’s team leader in RBI with 82. He had an RBI single against the Pirates on Monday.
- The defense of the Blue Jays will be key in this game. Toronto committed three errors that helped the Pirates score time and time again on Monday. The Jays will need to tighten things up defensively in this game to get back into the win column.
Recent Team Streaks
- Toronto has lost two games in a row coming into this contest.
- Pittsburgh is 2-3 in their last five games. They ended a two-game losing streak with Monday’s win over the Blue Jays.
Best Player Props
| Player | Prop Type |
|---|---|
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Over 1.5 Total Bases |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Over 0.5 Runs |
| Max Scherzer | Over 5.5 Strikeouts |
Betting Trends & H2H
- Pittsburgh is 1-0 against the Blue Jays so far this season.
- The over was set at 6.5 runs in the first game of this series. The game went over with seven total runs scored.
Blue Jays vs Pirates Model Projection
Score Projection: Blue Jays 5 – Pirates 4
Win Probability: Blue Jays 58%, Pirates 42%
Final Thoughts
Will youth or experience win out on the mound when these teams play on Tuesday night? I am leaning toward the experience of Max Scherzer getting the job done in this contest. Scherzer is backed by a better lineup and that should help him and his team to end their two-game losing streak on Tuesday night.
