Back-to-back losses to the Orioles have dropped the New York Yankees to 77-61 and they sit a game and a half back of the division, behind the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays are 79-60 and have been the better bet according to the total moneylines with the Yanks at $296 and the Jays at $778.
ODDS ANALYSIS
While the Yankees lost two of three to the Orioles this week, the Jays were unable to gain any ground, dropping two of three to the Red Sox at Fenway.
Toronto’s been average at best on the road this year going just 32-35 while the Yankees are 40-29 at home.
That said, the Jays—of course—still have a chance. They’ve won 26 of 35 games since the start of August.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Veteran knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will get the start to close out the series on Sunday. This will be his fourth start against the Bronx Bombers, having allowed just three runs in 21 1/3 innings over the previous three.
Overall, Dickey has been a serviceable arm with his knuckle ball providing a good change of pace against opposing hitters.
In 188 2/3 innings, Dickey is 10-10 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.240 WHIP. He’s coming off back-to-back starts where he’s allowed just a single run and has two runs allowed in 15 September innings.
For the Yankees, they’ve yet to announce the starter, but it should be Michael Pineda’s turn as New York is currently using a six man rotation.
Pineda is 10-8 on the year with a 4.15 ERA and 1.213 WHIP. He’s been dominant in some games and extremely hittable in others.
Since returning from the disabled list, he’s had one good outing—allowing a single run in six innings—and two poor ones, combining to allow nine runs in 10 1/3 innings.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Dickey spoke about how well he’s feeling with his knuckle ball right now, after his last start, saying:
“I really felt great with my knuckleball. It was firm. There were a lot of swings and misses.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Overall, this is a battle of the two most prolific offenses in baseball with the Jays scoring 760 runs and the Yankees 671 to rank one and two in the sport.
Since the start of September, the two teams have been neck and neck on offense with the Jays plating 40 in eight games and the Yanks plating 41.
Right now, the Yankees are playing without Mark Teixeira at first base. Before the injury, Tex was the team’s best player with a .906 OPS, but rookie Greg Bird is filling in nicely with a .777 OPS, five home runs and 17 RBIs in 24 games played.
In addition, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and A-Rod continue to provide a solid presence in the middle.
The top of the order is a bit of an issue with Jacoby Ellsbury hitting just .186 over his last 11 games and Brett Gardner banged up and batting just .182 over his last 23 games.
For the Jays, the lineup is stacked top to bottom. Ben Revere’s .373 OBP since coming over from Philly provides a table setter with speed while MVP frontrunner Josh Donaldson along with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion each have at least 30 home runs and 95 RBIs.
Guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak just add to the team’s impressive depth.
PROP TALK
Given Dickey’s recent success against the Yankees, few New York players have had success against him. Tex has hit well against him, but he’s injured. A-Rod is a 8-for 29 with a few extra base hits, but that’s about the best.
On the other side, Pineda’s numbers are good against Jays hitters, too. Bautista is 2-for-17 in his career, though he does have the only home run against him of any active Jays player.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Pineda is a bit of a question mark in terms of both production and health. Meanwhile, Dickey has owned the Yankees this year and is pitching very well right now.
Offensively, the Jays also have the edge with a quality player at every position while the Yankees top of the order is slumping.
Overall, the only place Toronto is weak in is the pen, but the additions of Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins at least give the team some more options to get to Robert Osuna. Plus, Aaron Sanchez is back in the bullpen as a quality arm as well.
Toronto 6, New York 4
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
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 New York Yankees will commence Sunday, September 13, 2015, at 1:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TBS.
