The Toronto Blue Jays (30-33) travel to face off against the Oakland Athletics (26-39) on Saturday, June 8th. This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland and televised on SNET. The Athletics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Athletics. First pitch is set for 3:07 CT.
Blue Jays vs Athletics
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this A’s vs Blue Jays series. Oakland went into the matchup as +148 underdogs and squeaked out a 2-1 win. Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Blue Jays could only muster one more run in the 7th inning. As for the A’s, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 6th, and both offenses went silent after that.
Toronto wasted a good outing from Chris Bassitt, as he gave up just one run in eight innings of work for the Blue Jays. Chad Green took the loss. Hogan Harris put together a good start for the A’s, getting the win after going six innings and giving up zero earned runs.
At the plate, Bo Bichette was the only Blue Jays hitter to have more than one hit. He went 2/4 with an RBI. JJ Bleday hit the game’s only home run while going 1/4. He scored both of Oakland’s runs.
The Blue Jays are 30-33 overall and trail the Yankees by 14 games in the AL East. Currently, they are in 5th place in the division, just one game behind the Rays for the 4th spot in the AL East. Toronto is closing out their series vs. the Athletics on the road.
At home, the Blue Jays have gone 16-15 this year, and they are 14-18 on the road. So far, they have been good as the favorite, going 24-17, but just 6-16 as the underdog. Toronto’s overall series record is 7-9-4, and they are 6-4 in their last ten games overall.
When the Blue Jays win, they tend to do so by a comfortable margin, averaging a +3.1 run differential. However, when they lose, it’s usually by a wide margin, with an average run differential of -4.1. Overall, Toronto’s run line record is 28-35, with a -0.7 run differential per game. They are 17-15 against the run line on the road and 11-20 at home.
The Blue Jays are on the road to face the Athletics, with the over/under line set at 8 runs. Toronto’s games have averaged 8.4 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 28-34. When the line has been set at 8 runs, their record is 9-9-1. So far this season, 39.7% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8 runs, while 30.2% have been set lower.
Kevin Gausman Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Toronto is sending Kevin Gausman to the mound today vs. the Athletics, and he comes in with a record of 4-4 and an ERA of 4.60. Gausman’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.33. Out of his 12 starts, he has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 8.75 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Gausman took the loss, giving up six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. So far, he has been much better on the road, with an ERA of 6.47 compared to 8.14 at home.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
Over his last seven games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been swinging a hot bat for the Blue Jays, going 9/25 with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting .295 and is 2nd on the team with seven homers. Daulton Varsho has also been a good power threat for the Blue Jays, as his 10 homers are the best mark on the team.
As a team, the Blue Jays are batting just .233, which is 16th in the league, and are averaging only 3.9 runs per game. This is also their home and road splits. Toronto is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts, but they are just 15th in home runs.
The Athletics are 26-39 overall and trail the Mariners by 10 games in the AL West. So far, they have really struggled against other AL West teams, going 6-14. Oakland is looking to pick up a win today, as they have dropped four straight series and are 7-12-1 in series this year.
At home, the Athletics are 15-18 compared to an 11-21 mark on the road. As the underdog, Oakland is 20-37 this year, and they are 6-2 as the favorite. So far, they have been pretty good as the favorite, putting together a record of 6-2.
When the Athletics win, they do so by an average of 2.9 runs per game, but when they lose, they lose by an average of 3.6 runs per game. Their run line record is 32-33 overall and 16-17 at home. As the underdog, they are 30-27 against the run line, while as the favorite, they are just 2-6.
The Oakland Athletics are playing at home against the Toronto Blue Jays today, and the over/under line is set at 8 runs. The combined run average for Athletics games this season is 8.3 runs, and their over/under record is 28-35. When the over/under line is set at 8 runs, their record is 7-10-1, and 36.9% of their games have had higher lines than 8 runs. Their current under streak is at 5 games.
Luis Medina Gets The Start For The Athletics
Luis Medina is getting the start for the A’s today, and he’ll be taking on the Blue Jays at home. Medina’s first start of the season came on the road against the Braves, where he went 5 2/3 innings, striking out 6 and allowing 2 runs.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
Over the past 10 games, Miguel Andujar has gone 11/41 (.268) with two homers and 10 RBIs. Overall, he is batting .271 with five homers. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers are tied for the team lead with 12 homers, with Rooker’s 39 RBIs leading the team and Langeliers’ 30 RBIs coming in as the 2nd most on the team.
As a team, the Athletics are 4th in home runs but are near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories. This includes being 28th in runs per game (3.7) and team batting average (.220). Their team on-base percentage is also just 21st in the league.
Blue Jays vs Athletics Prediction
With the Athletics at +136 on the money line, we see this as a great value pick. Our predicted final score is 6-5 in favor of the Athletics, and with the payout, this is a much better option than taking the Blue Jays on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Luis Medina is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Kevin Gausman at six. However, we have Medina finishing with a better line than Gausman and have his final line at 5.2 innings with Gausman going 5.1.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 8, 2024 Athletics, Blue Jays