I hope you all are having a great Labor Day weekend.
After this, the sports calendar really heats up as three of the four major seasons begin within the next 60 days, and so do the Major League Baseball Playoffs. We are back to the grind on the diamond today as we have a fairly full slate of baseball, but I’ve picked one of the last games of the day for us to bet on as the Blue Jays take on the Athletics.
The Toronto Blue Jays have to be one of the more frustrating teams for the fans and the organizational leadership alike. They looked like hot garbage for a lot of the season, but all of a sudden, the team is playing good baseball and once again looks like a threat to the American League.
They still don’t have a playoff position that they can rest comfortably in, but as of right now, the team is at least back in contention. They are getting production from many hitters on the roster, and even Vlad Guerrero Jr. seems to be heating up, as he is hitting .350 in September as of Sunday morning. His power is still down, with just eight home runs, but the weird thing is he has hit them all on the road this year.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
It isn’t just Guerrero who has better work on the road. The main reason, in my opinion, for this turnaround can be attributed to tonight’s starter, Dylan Cease. This has been a great year for Cease, and he is probably going to be one of the finalists for the Cy Young Award. At 10-5 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, Cease has turned in one of the best seasons of his career.
I’ve highlighted this in the past, but his road work has been outstanding. He has an 8-1 record, with a 1.54 ERA when he pitches outside of Toronto. Athletics hitters have a decent history against him, but are still just 11-for-43 with 15 strikeouts collectively.
The Athletics were considered to be a dark horse for the American League West this season.
Unfortunately, it seems like injuries and pitching derailed those hopes early in the season. It really doesn’t matter as the ownership seems to be building this team for a few years from now instead of production immediately. They want to be good when they get to Las Vegas, not when they are in Sacramento without a true home. At roughly 30 games under .500 for the season, they are one of the worst teams in baseball, but do have some bright-spot players.
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST SPORTS NEWS
Unfortunately for them, most of those bright spots come in the lineup, and not in the starting rotation. Jacob Lopez is a guy who might be serviceable for the Athletics for a few years, but his numbers aren’t going to “wow” you. Lopez is 6-4 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP this season. He has been worse pitching in Sacramento than on the road. To his credit, he has been strong over the past month and a half. Since the All-Star Break, he has thrown 49.2 innings and allowed only 13 earned runs. He has faced the Blue Jays hitters in the past, and he has allowed eight hits over 25 at-bats.
I’m writing this article a bit early, for a variety of reasons. The lines aren’t fully published, but as soon as they are, I am locking in a substantial run line wager on the Blue Jays.
Cease has been ridiculous this season. The road games have seen the Blue Jays overall go 8-4 in his starts. In the eight wins, they have gone 7-1 on the run line. I’m taking the Blue Jays on the road, with Cease and Lopez starting at -1.5. Lock it in and name the next boat you buy with the winnings after me.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
