- What: MLB Regular Season Game
- When: Sunday, August 11
- Who: Oakland Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays
- Time: 1:37 p.m. ET
- Where: Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON)
In the recent game of the series, the Athletics secured a 1-0 victory over the Blue Jays, thanks to a stellar performance by Osvaldo Bido.
Bido pitched six innings, striking out five batters without allowing a run. He won the game while Mason Miller secured the save.
On the Blue Jays’ side, Yariel Rodriguez pitched 5 2/3 innings, conceding only one run on five hits. Despite recording five strikeouts, he ended up with the loss.
The game’s lone run occurred in the 6th inning when Brent Rooker smashed a solo home run for the A’s.
Rooker and Shea Langeliers were the only A’s hitters to have more than one hit in the game.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are 49-69 overall, trailing the Astros by 13 games in the AL West. Within their division, they hold a 16-20 record. They are positioned 5th in the AL West, 13.0 games behind the Astros.
While the Athletics boast a 29-30 record at home this year, they are 20-39 on the road.
As underdogs, the Athletics hold a 38-65 record this year, while as favorites, they are 11-4. Their overall series record stands at 14-21-2, and they are currently tied in their series against the Blue Jays. Over their last 10 games, the Athletics are 5-5.
On the run line, the Athletics have gone 62-56 this season, with a better performance on the road at 30-29 compared to 32-27 at home. They have been underdogs in most games and hold a 56-47 run line record in those contests.
Baseball for breakfast ☀️ pic.twitter.com/iaDDGXM73x
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 11, 2024
When playing on the road, the Athletics’ over/under line is usually set at 8.5 runs, slightly below their season average of 8.6 runs per game.
They have played 76 games with an over/under line set at 8.5 runs, going over the total in 12 of those games. Oakland has experienced a recent under streak, hitting the under in six straight games.
Left-hander JP Sears will start for the Athletics against the Blue Jays on the road. Sears has made 23 starts this season with a 9-8 record and an ERA of 4.35. He has delivered eight quality starts and averages 6.91 strikeouts per nine innings.
Sears’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.21. In his last outing, he pitched seven innings, allowing just one earned run and securing the win. Before that, he had given up at least two earned runs in four consecutive starts.
The Athletics score an average of 4 runs per game, ranking them 26th in the league in scoring. However, their performance improves slightly at home, where they average 4.4 runs per contest.
The team’s batting average is .230, ranking 20th in the league. Nevertheless, they have the fourth-most home runs in the league and are 10th in isolated power.
Over his last nine games, Brent Rooker has gone 7 for 32 with three homers.
He is batting .290 for the season with a team-high 82 RBIs and 29 homers. Shea Langeliers follows with 21 homers but has a batting average of just .217 for the season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays currently hold the 5th position in the AL East with a 54-63 record, trailing the Orioles by 15.5 games for the division lead.
They have a 17-24 record against other AL East teams and a 4-6 record in their last 10 games. At home, the Blue Jays hold a 29-30 record for this season.
The Blue Jays have performed well when playing as the favorite, with a 34-25 record overall and a 23-18 record when playing as the favorite at home.
However, their performance as the underdog on the road has been less impressive, with a 20-38 record. Overall, their series record stands at 13-18-6 for the year.
Dog Day ????
Join us this afternoon: https://t.co/w9L78yEYtL pic.twitter.com/E188PICElu
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 11, 2024
In terms of the run line, the Blue Jays have a 56-61 record for the season, with a particularly poor 21-38 record against the run line at home. However, they have fared better on the road with a 35-23 record.
When playing as the underdog, they have a 31-27 record against the run line, compared to their 25-34 record as the favorite. The average run margin in their winning games is +3.0, while it is -4.0 in their losing games.
Today’s over/under line of 8.5 runs for the Blue Jays’ game against the Oakland Athletics is slightly below their season average of 9.0 runs per game.
The Blue Jays have played 19 games this season with over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, with a record of 18-19. However, 52.1% of their games have had over/under lines set lower than 8.5 runs.
Chris Bassitt will start for the Blue Jays today. He is looking to build on his recent performance, which saw him secure a win against the Orioles on August 6th.
His current season record stands at 9-10 with an ERA of 3.95. Out of 23 starts, Bassitt has delivered 10 quality starts and is averaging 8.58 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Blue Jays have averaged 4.1 runs per game this season, ranking 24th in the league. Their home batting average is even lower at 4 runs per contest.
The team’s batting average is .240, and the team’s OPS is .694, ranking 16th in the MLB. However, they have been one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams, with 106 homers ranking 11th.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a standout hitter for the Blue Jays this season, with a .322 batting average, 23 homers, and 76 RBIs.
He has been especially impressive in his last nine games, going 15/33 with two homers and seven RBIs, and currently holds a 22-game hitting streak.
George Springer is second on the team with 14 homers but has a batting average of just .221 for the season.
A’s-Blue Jays Best Bet
The offenses are hard to trust. The Mariners and White Sox have a lower batting average and fewer hits than the A’s. The Blue Jays lineup has been inconsistent apart from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Toronto is still missing Bo Bichette and didn’t get any hits from the bottom half of the lineup yesterday.
Additionally, George Springer and Alejandro Kirk have been struggling against lefties this year, hitting .176 and .189, respectively.
Given the struggles of both teams to capitalize on baserunners, the series rubber match feels like a pitcher’s duel.
My bet is on the Under in this one. 8.5 runs feels like far too many.
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