La Angels Angels vs Toronto Blue Jays Picks and Predictions August 12th 2024

From Angel Stadium in Anaheim, we have the Blue Jays and Angels facing off in an AL matchup. This one gets started at 9:38 PM ET, and it’s being televised by BSW.

The Blue Jays are slight money line favorites (-106) compared to the Angels, who are at -112. This game is the second in a row for the Blue Jays, who are 54-64 and in 5th place in the AL East, while the Angels are 4th in the AL West with an overall record of 52-66.

Toronto vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Toronto is sending right-hander Bowden Francis to the mound today vs. the Angels. He has made five starts this year and 19 appearances. Francis’ ERA is currently 5.44, and his record for the season is 4-3. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going five innings and giving up two earned runs vs. the Orioles. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Opponents are batting .266 vs. Francis this season, and his WHIP is 1.39. So far, he has allowed 11 homers.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been one of the best hitters in the league this season, as his 23 homers and 76 RBIs are both the best marks on the team and among the league leaders. Guerrero Jr. is also batting .319 for the season. Over his last seven games, he has gone 9/26 with four runs scored and four RBIs. Daulton Varsho has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 7/23 in his last seven games.

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George Springer is 2nd on the Blue Jays with 14 homers, but he is batting just .222 for the season and has only four hits in his last 27 at-bats. Toronto’s offense is averaging 4.1 runs per game and is 24th in the league in home runs. As a team, they are batting .239.

Davis Daniel will be making his 4th start of the season for the Angels, and he will be looking to pick up his first win of the year. In his last start, he took a loss to the Yankees, going just 3 1/3 innings and giving up 5 runs. On the season, he has 17 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings of work.

So far this season, the Angels offense has been one of the worst in the league, averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 25th in the MLB. They have also been near the bottom of the league in terms of home runs and team batting average. However, they do have a few hitters who have been swinging the bat well of late, including Zach Neto, who has gone 10/27 in his last six games, with three homers and five runs scored.

Neto’s three homers in his last six games has moved him into a tie with Jo Adell for the team lead in homers, with both players having 17 for the season. Adell has been one of the Angels’ worst regulars this season, batting just .204. Taylor Ward is also near the top of the Angels’ home run leaderboard, but like Adell, he has a low batting average this season, coming in at just .235.

Our lean in this one is to take the Blue Jays to win straight-up over the Angels. And despite our projections pointing to this being the 2nd lowest-scoring game of the day, we are leaning towards taking the over. Looking at today’s starters, we have Bowden Francis as our 4th lowest-rated starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts, while Davis Daniel is 3rd worst.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Aims for Redemption as Blue Jays Face Angels

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is set to lead the Toronto Blue Jays as they begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night in Anaheim, California. After having his impressive 22-game hitting streak snapped, Guerrero is eager to regain his momentum and spark a turnaround for the struggling Blue Jays.

Guerrero’s Streak Comes to an End

Guerrero’s streak, which matched his profession high set in 2022, finished on Sunday when he went hitless in four at-bats during Toronto’s 8-4 home misfortune to the Oakland Games. Throughout the span of the streak, Guerrero was almost relentless, batting .494 (40-for-81) with 10 homers, 11 pairs, and 22 RBIs. The streak, which started on July 14 in the last game before the All-Star break, featured Guerrero’s hostile ability.

“I’ve seen Vlad do some cool things over the years,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who has been at the helm for the past two-plus seasons. “That stretch right there was pretty high up there.”

During the streak, Guerrero displayed consistent excellence, recording six three-hit games and one four-hit performance. His batting average surged from .284 to .319, placing him fourth in the majors.

“Pretty remarkable, honestly,” Schneider continued. “When you’re in the midst of a 22-game hitting streak, usually you see days like (Saturday) kind of with a soft single to right and that’s it. But he was doing damage and having multiple hits every single night it seemed.”

Despite Guerrero’s efforts, the Blue Jays remain 10 games below .500 with just 44 games remaining, effectively out of the playoff race.

Angels Also Struggling

The Angels, as well, end up distant from dispute, sitting 14 games beneath .500. The group wrapped up a six-game excursion with a 3-3 record, which included taking two of three games from the New York Yankees prior to losing two of three to the Washington Nationals. The Angels figured out how to rescue the series finale with a 6-4 triumph on Sunday.

Los Angeles infielder Brandon Drury, who has had an extreme season, woke up in the series against Washington, arriving at base multiple times. On Sunday, he strolled multiple times and recorded two RBIs on Saturday. Drury, who is batting just .157, has been looking for a flash subsequent to getting through a 1-for-28 rut north of nine games.

“I’ve had some really bad seasons in the past and I found ways to make adjustments and be a good player again,” Drury said following Sunday’s win. “For now I’m just looking for that little adjustment to click. Hopefully the last few games is the start to that. I’m waiting to start driving some balls in the gap and over the fence.”

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe is likewise amidst a serious downturn, having gone hitless in 22 at-bats more than five games prior to being given Sunday off. O’Hoppe is hitting a small .081 (3-for-37) with 14 strikeouts in August, featuring the hostile battles the Angels have confronted.

Pitching Matchup: Davis Daniel vs. Bowden Francis

The series opener will highlight a pitching duel between Angels right-hander Davis Daniel and Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis. Daniel, who has had a conflicting season, holds a 1-3 record with a 6.04 Time. His season started with a stellar eight shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers on June 27, yet from that point forward, he has battled, going 0-3 with a 8.83 Period in four starts. In his last excursion against the Yankees, Daniel surrendered five runs and seven hits more than 3 1/3 innings.

“I just think he has to be able to hit his spots with his pitches,” Angels manager Ron Washington remarked. “When he leaves pitches over the middle of the plate and they’re up, he doesn’t have the velocity to get away with it. But when he’s been where he can flip his breaking ball in and put it in the spot and move his fastball around and his changeup, that’s the times he’s been good.”

On the opposite side, Francis, who holds a 4-3 record with a 5.44 Period, will start for the Blue Jays. He got a no-choice in his last excursion against the Baltimore Orioles, where he allowed two runs and three hits more than five innings. Francis, 28, has never confronted the Angels, adding a component of flightiness to the matchup.

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The Road Ahead

Monday denotes the main gathering of the time between the Blue Jays and the Angels. The two groups will meet in the future for a four-game series in Toronto in the not so distant future. The two groups are anxious to make some late-season progress, even as their playoff trusts have blurred. For Guerrero, the series offers an opportunity to light another hitting streak and proceed with his journey for individual greatness, regardless of whether the group’s fortunes are probably not going to dramatically change.