The Toronto Blue Jays are officially on the brink of elimination. They've got to take care of business on Wednesday at home just to keep things going again. The Kansas City Royals though, have to have a lot of confidence with the way they're playing to get back to a second consecutive World Series.
PITCHING MATCHUP
It's interesting to think that the Blue Jays were -127 favorites on the road when these same two pitchers were on the mound back at Kauffman Stadium, and now, they're only just slightly greater -139 favorites.
Edinson Volquez certainly got the best of Marco Estrada in the first of those games, but as live bettors, we'd be a little concerned.
Volquez had to throw 111 pitches to get through six frames, and there were a lot of good hacks by these Blue Jays hitters. If the righty ends up being as inefficient in this game, something that has plagued him throughout his career, Toronto will have a legit shot to get this series back to Kansas City.
For us, Estrada is the more consistent of these two pitchers. He had posted five straight quality starts before Game 1 of the ALCS, and it's not like he pitched poorly last week. The righty gave up three runs in 5.1 innings, and he largely was punished for making mistakes on pitches he otherwise might've gotten away with.
ADVANCED STATS
The Royals are getting the job done at the top of their batting order, and that's why they just continue to score. They've plated at least five runs in seven games in a row.
Alcides Escobar has had six hits in his last eight at bats, while Ben Zobrist has delivered some massive hits right behind him and has five hits in last two games. On top of that, Escobar has gotten a base hit to leadoff every game thus far in this series, and that's really starting things for this lineup and setting the tone.
You'd like to think if the Blue Jays can get some outs early on in this game and at the top of the order, they'll have a shot in live betting. Otherwise, there could be issues.
TALKING BULLPENS
It's all out there now for the Jays, as there is no tomorrow. That means every bullet in the gun is going to be available for John Gibbons.
However, we know what that means. There are certain guys who we just don't want to see pitch in this do-or-die game. LaTroy Hawkins, likely pitching in his last postseason, has allowed seven runs in his last three outings, covering just five outs in that span. Mark Lowe hasn't looked good in this series at all, and in spite of the fact that he's experienced, he hasn't done a thing in the playoffs in his career, allowing nine runs in six innings of work.
But the real man we'd be afraid of if we saw down in the bullpen and we were live betting is David Price. Price would pitch in Game 6 if that's what it came down to, but Gibbons has already shown that he isn't afraid to throw him in relief.
Price has allowed 13 runs in the playoffs thus far, and though he did get a win in relief against the Rangers after allowing three runs in three innings, we know that his confidence level has to be nil going into his free agency season.
The MLB odds for this game were available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Blue Jays opened up at -139 along with a total of 9. 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!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! First pitch for Game 5 of the ALCS between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 4:05 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. The contest will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
