MLB Predictions: Angels vs Blue Jays Lines
The Toronto Blue Jays welcome the Los Angeles Angels for the first game in a three-game set on Friday night. Toronto is flying high coming off a four-game sweep of Philadelphia, while the Angels are coming off back-to-back losses to the Yankees.
Los Angeles Angels (16-17) at Toronto Blue Jays (18-17)
Date: Friday, May 9, 2014
Time: 7:07 PM ET
Venue: Air Canada Centre
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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O/U Odds: 9.5
Money Line: Toronto -106, Los Angeles -102
Pitching Matchup: RH Garrett (3-0, 2.84 ERA) at RH Dustin McGowan (2-1, 4.80 ERA)
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The Angels had a day off on Thursday to try and get their heads back on straight after struggling to score runs against the Yankees. The team managed just nine runs in that three-game set, after scoring just 10 times in a three-game series with the Texas Rangers.
As for the Blue Jays, their bats have been red-hot. The Jays scored 38 runs in winning each of their last five games. They will now look to get to the Angels’ Garrett Richards, who has been quite strong this season.
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Richards has a 2.84 ERA on the year, limiting opposing batters to a .184 clip. He’s actually been better on the road, where he’s made four of his six starts, allowing just four runs and eight hits in 25 innings of work, holding opposing hitters to a .096 average in compiling a 1.44 ERA. He’s had some trouble with finding his location on the road though, walking 14 batters.
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A year ago, the Blue Jays faced Richards twice, and the righty got the better of them, going 2-0 with a 3.29 ERA, allowing 13 hits in 13 2/3 innings of work. In his last outing, Richards surrendered three runs on nine hits in six innings of work against the Rangers, striking out nine and walking two.
Dustin McGowan counters for the Blue Jays. He’s been really hit or miss this season, throwing gems against the Orioles and Pirates, but also putting together duds against the Yankees and Twins. Considering he missed so much time due to injury, he deserves a ton of credit for returning to the game at all.
His year should be considered a success thus far, as he’s 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. He has limited reps against the current Angels, and they all came years ago, but he did hold Howie Kendrick hitless in six at-bats, while Erick Aybar is 1-for-3 against him with a double.
Additionally, runs haven’t been hard to come by when these teams face off with one another. The over cashed in six of seven meetings a year ago. Richards’s success against the Jays make it a little harder to pull the trigger, but the Jays bats are just far too hot right now to completely write them off.
The over is 13-3-1 in the Blue Jays’ last 17 games overall, and 10-1 in the last 11 meetings between these teams.
The play: Los Angeles -102, Over 9.5
