To start a seven-game West Coast swing, the Toronto Blue Jays will go up against the Oakland Athletics on Monday night. These two clubs last played in mid-April, with Toronto claiming two of three of the MLB matchups. This will be a chance for the A’s to get a little bit of revenge.
The Blue Jays (44-36) were looking good after winning the initial two of a five-game slate with Tampa Bay, then things went downhill. Toronto lost each of the last three games against the Rays, all by four runs or more. In the MLB standings, the Blue Jays need to do a lot more to catch up to the American League East-leading New York Yankees.
Oakland (26-55) has been stuck in a season-long rut, meaning they’re not doing well at all in the MLB standings. As of today, the A’s are 26.5 games out of first-place, which figures to be an almost insurmountable task with Houston having gotten out to a fantastic lead over each of the challengers in the grouping.
The Athletics haven’t been able to get much done at the plate whatsoever. Their .212 collective batting average is the worst in the majors, while their total runs scored only eclipse Detroit’s.
At the top of the weak effort is shortstop Elvis Andrus, who is hitting .232 as of right now. First baseman Seth Brown is the only Athletic with at least 10 long balls. Brown also paces the group with 36 RBIs and second baseman Tony Kemp with a .299 on-base percentage.
Blue Jays vs. Athletics Odds
MLB odds have the visitors getting back on good footing here. Toronto is -1.5 on the run line at -128, while the Athletics are +210 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Blue Jays are -255 and Oakland a +210 underdog. The total has been set at seven runs, with the over being -124 and the under +102 at the time of this writing.
Toronto has done a fantastic job swinging the lumber. Their .258 team batting average is bested by only Boston and Colordao. They also rank in the top five in the bigs in home runs and total runs.
First baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. has a team-high 19 dingers and 53 RBIs. Following behind him in terms of homers are center fielder George Springer (15), shortstop Bo Bichette (12), and third baseman Matt Chapman (11).
Matchup Information
Blue Jays vs. Athletics Betting Preview
The Blue Jays are scheduled to send right-hander Alek Manoah to the mound here. He’s been masterful to this point in the season, having compiled a 9-2 record, a 2.09 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP. He ranks in the top 10 in the majors in those two statistical categories.
After winning five of his starts in a row, the Toronto Blue Jays have fallen short in two of his last three starts, including a 6-5 loss to Boston in extra innings last Wednesday. Manoah only gave up two earned runs in seven innings, though.
For the Oakland Athletics, Cole Irvin will throw. The 28-year-old southpaw has a 2-6 mark and a 3.58 ERA thus far. Oakland has dropped each of his last nine outings, which doesn’t bode very well here, especially against such stiff competition.
Against the New York Yankees his last time out, he turned in seven frames of work, giving up six hits and five earned runs.
Blue Jays vs. Athletics Picks and Predictions
These MLB picks today are almost a no-brainer. With a basically hapless Oakland order taking on an adept lineup of the Blue Jays’, it comes as no surprise that Toronto is favored as heavily as it is.
Expect the odds to hold true, with Toronto covering the spread easily and getting its road trip off to a good start. If not for the Yankees’ dominance, the Blue Jays would be in the conversation for the division lead. Oakland is already looking ahead to next year.
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