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For Blue Jays, Home Field Advantage in MLB Playoffs is Key!

By Shaun Doyle

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Sep 17, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) watches from the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros saw their lead in the AL West slip away. It’s to the point now where they very well could miss the playoffs after being a bit of a Cinderella team in 2015. But, depending on how things shake out, they could stay in the 2nd Wild Card spot and battle for a chance to play in Toronto.

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    • On the road, 2015 has not been good to the Astros. They’re hitting .241/.304/.400 with nearly a 40 HR difference. In fact, all of their offensive numbers are lower on the road. This is going to be a problem since the only time they’ll have home field advantage is in the World Series, should they make it that far.

    At Rogers Centre, the Astros have done slightly worse this year. They’ve slashed .227/.283/.340 with 10 runs on 22 hits, 2 doubles and 3 home runs. The Blue Jays certainly were able to capitalize on almost no patience from the Astros lineup as evidenced by their 6 walks and 24 whiffs. That’s an average of 8 Ks per game! In what is normally a hitter friendly park, the Astros suffered a .268 BABIP in Rogers Centre. Obviously, dome has not been kind to Astros hitters.

    Astros’ pitching has been worse on the road in 2015 as they’ve managed just a 30-46 record for their efforts to go with a 3.95 ERA. They’ve given up 20 more runs, 30 more walks and have struck out nearly 150(!) fewer batters. This is not the recipe for success, obviously. Heading into Rogers Centre, the ‘Stros will likely look back on their time in Toronto with anxiety. The Blue Jays hit .310/.386/.530 against them in Toronto. Their 1.27 SO/W ratio is their second lowest mark of any visiting stadium. The Blue Jays tagged them for 5 HR and 8 stolen bases on their way to scoring 20 runs.

    The Blue Jays will enjoy an advantage over the Astros should it come down to it. Perhaps, they’ll even be cheering for them. It looks to be a matchup the Blue Jays would enjoy.

    Next: LA Angels at Rogers Centre...Just In Case

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