Toronto Blue Jays vs. Baltimore Orioles Preview
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore, Maryland
When: Wednesday, April 5, 2017, 7:05 PM ET
Line: Toronto Blue Jays (+103) vs. Baltimore Orioles (-113); total: 8.5 – view all MLB lines
TV Broadcast: SNET-1 / MASN 2
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Betting on the Toronto Blue Jays (0-1)
The Toronto Blue Jays experienced heart-break right in Game No. 1 of the season as they fell to an 11th-inning walk-off homer in the first game of their series against the Baltimore Orioles. Josh Donaldson and Steve Pearce both had strong starts to the year as they had three hits apiece. The Jays as a team had 11 hits.
The Jays will look to bounce back immediately with the help of J.A. Happ. The veteran lefty had his best ever campaign in 2016 as he finished with a career-high 20 wins and a 3.18 ERA. Happ wasn’t incredible against the O’s in three starts against them last season. But despite a middling 3.54 ERA, he still went 2-0.
Happ had the benefit of 20 runs worth of support in his two wins, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to get that kind of help tonight. The entire Jays lineup has only had nine combined at-bats against O’s starter Dylan Bundy, and Kevin Pillar is the only one with more than one at-bat.
Happ’s teams don’t have the greatest record at Baltimore. They’re just 1-4 in Happ’s five career starts.
Betting on the Baltimore Orioles (1-0)
After Kevin Gausman gave the O’s a decent enough start on Opening Day, it’s now Dylan Bundy’s turn to try and do the same against the Jays. The right-hander went 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA as a rookie last season.
Bundy didn’t face the Jays a starter, but he did make three appearances against them as a reliever earlier in the season. He went 3.2 innings and gave up no runs and just one hit in those three relief appearances.
Bundy was also significantly more effective at home than on the road last season. He had a 3.30 ERA in eight home starts compared to a 6.43 ERA in six road starts.
The O’s bats will need to help their young starter out with some runs. All of their big bats – Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Christ Davis, and Mark Trumbo – got a hit in the season opener, and Trumbo continued where he left off from last season with another homer.
However, the slugger is 0-for-11 lifetime against Happ. The lone Oriole with a modicum of success against Happ has been Machado, who has a .286 average, 2 HR, and 3 RBI in 21 at-bats.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blue Jays (+103) get some payback as they get to Bundy en route to a 6-3 win.
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