MLB matchup analysis
Blue Jays vs Phillies Prediction, Odds and Model Pick
Saturday, August 8, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park · 6:05 PM ET
LyDia decision: Pass on Blue Jays vs Phillies
The case for Philadelphia Phillies
The case for Toronto Blue Jays
Why it is not official
Why the setup score is what it is
Read the full model output
Starting pitcher edge conflicts with the model side.
Game information
| Matchup | Toronto Blue Jays at Philadelphia Phillies |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, August 8, 2026 |
| First pitch | 6:05 PM ET |
| Venue | Citizens Bank Park |
| Starting pitchers | Max Scherzer vs Aaron Nola |
| Weather | Game-time forecast: 81°F, 6% precipitation chance, 7 mph wind from SW. |
Starting pitcher matchup
Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →| Metric | Blue Jays | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching plan | Limited starter | Traditional starter |
| Expected innings | 4 | 5⅓ |
| Throws | R | R |
| LyDia pitcher score (higher is better) | 37 | 51 |
| ERA (lower is better) | 7.92 | 5.55 |
| WHIP (lower is better) | 1.63 | 1.44 |
| K/9 (higher is better) | 6.8 | 9.1 |
| K-BB% (higher is better) | 5.7% | 15.3% |
| K% (higher is better) | 16.4% | 23.2% |
| BB% (lower is better) | 10.7% | 7.9% |
| BB/9 (lower is better) | 4.4 | 3.1 |
| HR/9 (lower is better) | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| Ground-ball rate | 37.9% | 46.3% |
| Fly-ball rate | 62.1% | 53.7% |
Pitching plan edge: LyDia gives the Toronto Blue Jays pitching plan the edge over Aaron Nola (8 points on LyDia's pitcher score). Max Scherzer is projected for only 4 innings, with the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen covering the rest -- this compares the Toronto Blue Jays blended starting-pitcher-and-bullpen quality against Aaron Nola's own line, not two starters directly.
Blended read: For the Toronto Blue Jays, the bullpen is projected to throw more of the game than Max Scherzer (about 4 innings for the starter), so LyDia grades that side on a whole-game effective ERA of 4.59 rather than Max Scherzer's own 7.92. Whole-game, that is 4.59 for the Toronto Blue Jays against 4.61 on the other side, so the blended read leans Toronto Blue Jays.
How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table. Highlighted cells mark a gap big enough to matter. K% and BB% are strikeout and walk rate as a share of batters faced -- K-BB% is the two combined into one skill number. HR/9 is home runs allowed per nine innings. Ground-ball and fly-ball rate are neither good nor bad on their own: high ground-ball pitchers trade strikeouts for double plays and fewer home runs, and on this data source the two rates are complementary (they add to 100%), not independent reads.
Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →
Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.
Recent form
Full Stats page →Blue Jays are 6-4 in their last 10 and averaging 3.6 runs per game over the last 15 days; Phillies are 5-5 in their last 10, averaging 4.9 runs per game over the last 15 days, and swinging above their season form. On the season Phillies carry the better run differential per game (+0.01 against -0.51).
| Metric | Blue Jays | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Last 10 | 6-4 | 5-5 |
| Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home) | 6-4 on the road | 4-6 at home |
| OPS, last 15 days | 0.679 | 0.728 |
| wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read) | 0.300 | 0.323 |
| Runs per game, last 15 days | 3.6 | 4.9 |
| K% last 15 days (lower is better) | 18.4% | 18.3% |
Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.
30-day offense
Full offense tool →| Last 30 days | Blue Jays | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| OPS | 0.647 (-0.033 vs szn) | 0.702 (-0.006 vs szn) |
| Runs per game | 3.33 (-0.564 vs szn) | 4.33 (-0.077 vs szn) |
| wOBA (model offense input) | 0.287 (-0.014 vs szn) | 0.310 |
| K% (lower is better) | 18.4% (-1.1% vs szn) | 21.8% (-1.3% vs szn) |
Over the last 30 days the Phillies have been the better offense, 0.310 wOBA to 0.287.
Season profile
Full Stats page →| Metric | Blue Jays | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 55-62 | 62-55 |
| Run differential / game (team quality) | -0.51 | +0.01 |
| Runs scored / game (offense, season) | 3.90 | 4.41 |
| Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better) | 4.41 | 4.40 |
| Season OPS | 0.680 | 0.708 |
| K% season (lower is better) | 19.5% | 23.1% |
| OPS vs opposing hand (season) | 0.698 | 0.714 |
Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.
The Map
Full interactive map →Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Blue Jays and Phillies are highlighted.
Bullpen matchup
Full Bullpen Fatigue Index →Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.
| Metric | Blue Jays | Phillies |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 9.4/10, High risk | 8.6/10, High risk |
| Efficiency | 5.3/10, Average | 6.1/10, Effective |
| Combined risk | 9.3/10, High risk | 8.1/10, Tired |
| Relief innings, last 7 days | 31.3 | 26.7 |
| Back-to-back arms | 8 | 7 |
| 7-day ERA | 3.16 | 3.04 |
| 7-day WHIP | 1.50 | 1.01 |
Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.
Run total projection
Full Totals Projections →The model projects 1.0 runs below the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.
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