JP Sears is starting for the Athletics, and he is facing off against Chris Bassitt for the Blue Jays. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the Blue Jays are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -160 compared to the Athletics at +135. This AL matchup is set to get started at 1:37 PM ET from the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
As for the Athletics, they are 49-69 this season, while the Blue Jays are 54-63. Toronto is currently 5th in the AL East, while the Athletics are 5th in the AL West. NSPCA is carrying Sunday's Blue Jays vs. Athletics game on TV.
Oakland vs. Toronto Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Athletics at Blue Jays
- Where: Rogers Centre Toronto
- Date: Sunday, August 11th
- Betting Odds TOR -160 | OAK +135 O/U 8.5
Athletics vs Blue Jays Last Game Recap
Thanks to a two-home run performance from Brent Rooker and a four-hit game from Shea Langeliers, the Athletics cruised to a 6-0 win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the A's were at +111 on the money line.
Oakland got on the board in the first inning with a two-run homer from Rooker. He added another two-run shot in the 6th, and Langeliers capped off the scoring with a two-run double in the 7th.
On the other side, the Blue Jays wasted a good outing from Yariel Rodriguez, who gave up just one run in 5 2/3 innings of work. He did issue five walks and took the loss in the game.
Athletics Preview
As underdogs, the Athletics have a 38-65 record this season, but as favorites, they are 11-4. Overall, they are 62-56 against the run line, with a 56-47 record as underdogs. The A's have played to the under in six straight games and have an over/under record of 52-64 this season.
Currently, the Athletics are 5th in the AL West with a 49-69 record, 13 games behind the Astros. In AL West matchups, they are 16-20. For the series against the Blue Jays, they have split the first two games and have a series record of 14-21-2 for the year.
Oakland is sending JP Sears to the mound today vs. the Blue Jays, and he comes into the game with a record of 9-8 and an ERA of 4.35. Sears has made 23 starts this season and has turned in eight quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Sears went seven innings vs. the White Sox, giving up just one earned run. He ended up with the win in that outing. Sears has actually won three straight starts and has not allowed more than one earned run in any of those outings. The left-hander's ERA at home is 8.4 compared to 4.28 on the road.
So far this season, the Athletics offense has been one of the league's best home run-hitting teams, but they are batting just .230 as a team and are averaging only 4 runs per game. As a team, they are also near the bottom of the league in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Brent Rooker has been a bright spot for the team, as he is hitting .290 for the season and is 5th in the league with 29 homers. He also leads the team with 82 RBIs.
Over his last nine games, Rooker has gone 7/32 with three homers, but his batting average of .219 in those games is a bit lower than his season average. Catcher Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 21 homers but is batting just .217 for the season.
Blue Jays Preview
As the favorite, the Blue Jays have a 34-25 record, but as the underdog, they are 20-38. Toronto's overall series record is 13-18-6, and they are 1-1-1 in their last three series. The Blue Jays have an average run margin of -0.7 runs per game, and their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game this season, resulting in a 63-51 over/under record.
Toronto's straight-up record is 29-30 at home and 25-33 on the road. They are currently in 5th place in the AL East, 15.5 games behind the Orioles. The Blue Jays will face the Athletics today, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. This season, their games with an 8.5 O/U line have gone 18-19, making up 16.2% of their total games.
Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he picked up the win. Against the Orioles on August 6th, he went seven innings, giving up two earned runs, and had nine strikeouts. Looking back further, he had lost three straight starts before that outing. Bassitt's overall record is 9-10, and he has an ERA of 3.95. Out of his 23 starts, he has turned in 10 quality starts and is averaging 8.58 strikeouts per nine innings.
Currently, the Blue Jays offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.2 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, they are batting .240, which is 14th in the league, and are also one of the best teams in the league at avoiding strikeouts. As a team, they are 23rd in the league in home runs.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the league's best hitters this season, batting .322 with 23 homers and 76 RBIs. He has also been hot of late, going 15/33 in his last nine games. Guerrero Jr. is also on a 22-game hitting streak. George Springer is 2nd on the team with 14 homers but is batting just .221 for the season.
Athletics vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Blue Jays ML -160
Our pick for this Blue Jays vs. Athletics matchup is to take the Blue Jays on the money line at -160. We actually have the Blue Jays winning this one by a score of 6-5, which would give you a little bit of wiggle room to also take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Bassitt is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is good for seventh among starters. As for JP Sears, he is projected to finish with five K's, which has him in the middle of the pack.
