Playoff races throughout MLB are heating up, and that is extremely true in the very difficult AL East Division. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night to begin a four-game series between two of the best teams in the league.
Baltimore comes into this series with a record of 64-41, and they are a surprising leader at the top of the division. The Orioles also enter this matchup with a ton of momentum after picking up a 9-3 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday night.
Toronto is currently in third place in the AL East, but they have a very impressive record of 59-47. The Blue Jays just had their three-game winning streak snapped, but they have been playing well since the All-Star Break.
The Blue Jays are the moneyline betting favorites at -145 in this series opener on Monday night against the Orioles.
Orioles Have Momentum on Offense
The Baltimore Orioles scored six runs without recording an out in the first inning on Sunday night, and that offense is playing with a ton of momentum. Baltimore is starting to hit more home runs as well, but they still have just 123 of them on the year.
Anthony Santander continues to lead the offense for the Orioles, as he has a team-high 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. Baltimore still needs to find a way to string more hits together, but they appear to have a clutch gene that runs through the team.
Kyle Gibson will be on the mound on Monday night, and he is looking to turn his season around. Gibson has gone 9-6 on the year, but he has a team ERA of 4.68 so far.
Blue Jays Getting Some Pitching
The offense of the Toronto Blue Jays tends to grab the headlines, but this team has been getting great work from the pitching staff. Toronto comes into this game with a team ERA of 3.76, and that has kept them in the race.
Chris Bassitt is set to make the start on Monday night, and he has gone 10-5 with a 3.91 ERA this season. Bassitt is a proven veteran in this league, and he knows the importance of pitching well down the stretch.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leads the team with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs, and he is always a threat when he is in the batter’s box. Toronto has been making some big trades to improve the team, and that should give this team a boost as well.
Blue Jays Beat the Orioles
This is going to be an extremely competitive series over the four games, and you will need to find any possible advantage when trying to pick the winner. Toronto appears to have a slight edge in the starting pitching matchup on Monday night, and that’s a reason to go with them.
Baltimore always seems to come up with clutch hits when they need them the most, but they will struggle in this game. Toronto has the ability to play long ball with the best of them, and that will be a key in this matchup as well.
Bet the Toronto Blue Jays -145 as they begin this very important series with a victory.
