Leading up to game two of this American League battle, the Athletics (42-96, 23-46 home) will send Ken Waldichuk to the mound to take on the Blue Jays (76-62, 41-32 away) and Chris Bassitt. Find out who I like to come out on top in this Toronto Blue Jays vs. Oakland Athletics matchup in Oakland.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS VS OAKLAND ATHLETICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Oakland Coliseum at 9:40 ET on Tuesday, September 5th.

WHY BET THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

  • The last ten times the Athletics have been the underdog, they are 8-2 against the runline.
  • Oakland is riding a 6 runline win streak when going into a game as the underdog.
  • Opponents are hitting just .204 against Ken Waldichuk in his last five starts.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Toronto’s overall record currently stands at 76-62, placing them 3rd in the AL East. The Blue Jays will look to extend their current series winning streak to 45 and have an overall series record of 25-17-2. At home, Toronto is 35-30 and 41-32 on the road.

Chris Bassitt is making his 29th start of the season, boasting a 13-7 record and 3.81 ERA. The opposition has been held to a .229 batting average against him, while teams have managed a .404 slugging percentage against the right-hander. On the road, Bassitt is 6-4 with an ERA of 6.89, compared to 7-3 at home with a 3.13 ERA.

Chris Bassitt earned a quality start and the win in his last outing, shutting out the Nationals 7-0. The right-hander allowed just three hits over eight innings of work.

Having gone deep 6 times in their last five games, the Blue Jays are 6th in that span. At 4.6 runs per game, Toronto is 15th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .260 while hitting a total of 162 home runs (15th).

A notable absence from the Blue Jays’ lineup today is Bo Bichette, who leads the team in hits this season. The young shortstop has compiled a .314 batting average and an on-base percentage of .344 in 2023.

WILL THE OAKLAND ATHLETICS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Athletics enter today’s game with an overall record of 42-96 which includes going 20-65 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 5th in the AL West. Across their 44 series, Oakland is 11-31-2 and have records of 19-50 and 23-46 on the road and at home, respectively.

Ken Waldichuk will take the mound for the Athletics with an overall record of 2-7. In 30 appearances this season, he has posted a 5.92 ERA and 9 K/9. His FIP is 5.52, and opponents have a .361 OBP against him.

Ken Waldichuk’s latest outing against the Mariners saw him surrender one run on one hit in four innings pitched. The Athletics ultimately emerged victorious, 3-1, with Waldichuk not factoring into the decision.

The Athletics have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 13 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 8th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 19th in home runs and 27th in slugging percentage. Overall, Oakland is averaging 3.7 runs per game (28th).

The Athletics’ Lawrence Butler has been a major contributor to the team’s offense over their last ten games, leading the way with three home runs. His season-long total stands at four long balls, and his overall batting average is .246.