The top teams in the American League wild card race square off when Toronto visits the Angels in the second of a three-game set.
The Blue Jays haven’t won a series from Los Angeles since 2011, going 11-19 in the eight sets since.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Toronto Blue Jays have lost four times in the last 20 games and haven’t been able to take control of either the AL East or wild card race. Their recent 11-game winning streak briefly got them the lead in the division and also moved them into a wild card spot, but the Jays dropped three of five since then. They were beaten 7-4 in Philadelphia on Wednesday, putting them in the red 3.93 units during that run. The Angels have also failed to seize control by going 5-8 in their last 13 games. Offense has been difficult to come by for the Halos, who averaged just 2.6 runs in that span and were denied a four-game sweep of the White Sox Thursday, losing 8-2. The teams split a four-game series in Toronto in May, combining for 12 runs in LA’s wins and 28 runs in Toronto’s victories.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Marco Estrada (10-7, 3.20 ERA) took the loss Saturday against the Yankees allowing three hits over six innings, but two of those hits left the park. He’s been a tremendous addition to the rotation since being added in May with the team winning 10 of his last 14 starts.
Estrada faced the Angels for the only time on Aug. 31, 2013, pitching seven innings in a no-decision. He’ll be making his first appearance at Angel Stadium.
With a six-inning, one-run effort against the White Sox on Monday, Andrew Heaney (5-1, 2.43 ERA) continues to impress for the Angels. The rookie left hander has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season, but is winless in his last four. Heaney is undefeated in three decisions over six starts at home and takes a 2.43 ERA and 1.03 WHIP into his first appearance against the explosive Blue Jays.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“C.J., since he came back from his little minor league stint, he’s on a mission. He’s had some tough games mixed in, but for the most part you can see what he can do. There’s nothing to say the he’s not going to get playing time against right-handed pitching. He’s certainly a guy that we’re gonna get in the lineup as much as we can.” – Angels manager Mike Scioscia on C.J. Cron
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The top two contenders for the AL MVP go head to head in this series with LA’s Mike Trout facing Toronto’s Josh Donaldson. Trout has finished top-two in the voting in each of his three seasons, winning the honor last year. At the All-Star break it seemed like a foregone conclusion the Angels’ slugger would win again. He was bettering his 2014 numbers in almost every category across the board. Though he’s stumbled a bit since, he’s still producing a slash line that’s above his 2014 slash, and he has 33 home runs – he hit 36 all of last season. Basically, he’s still doing MVP-worthy things. But Donaldson has clouded the picture. Since the break he has 12 home runs and 1.083 OPS, along with his .295 average. That’s pretty good. There are others who merit consideration, of course, but it’s not going too far out on a limb to say these two are the favorites.
PROP TALK
Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion homered in both games in Philadelphia to extend his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. He’s batting .379 during his run and has also reached base in 21 straight games with a .446 on-base percentage. Encarnacion raised his average 20 points during his hitting streak and has four home runs and 10 RBIs in his last nine games. He has a homer and four RBIs in four games against the Angels this season.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Blue Jays have tumbled since their 11-game winning streak, but that’s to be expected. The Angels are looking to put a streak together that can get them closer in the AL West. The teams are battling for a wild card spot and a division title, making this series the most important one of the season, at least to this point. The Angels have the luxury of getting the last at-bat and that will help them secure a win.
Los Angeles 5, Toronto 4
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Toronto Blue Jays versus the Los Angeles Angels will commence Saturday, August 22, 2015, at 9:05 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
