Toronto Blue Jays vs La Angels Picks and Predictions August 25th 2024

Kevin Gausman will start for the Blue Jays on Sunday, as they look to move to 63-68. They are the heavy favorite on the money line at -175 and will be facing off against the Angels, who are +147. Los Angeles will start Tyler Anderson and is currently on a four-game losing streak. The Angels are 5th in the AL West, and the over/under line is at 8 runs.

First pitch from the Rogers Centre is set for 1:37 PM ET, and SNET will be televising this AL matchup. The Angels are 54-76 overall.

Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Blue Jays on the road. So far this season, he has made 25 starts and has a record of 10-11. Anderson’s ERA is 3.40, along with a WHIP of 1.21. In his 25 starts, he has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 6.98 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Anderson picked up the win, going six innings and giving up four earned runs on 11 hits. Before that, he had given up at least two homers in three straight starts.

Los Angeles comes into the game as one of the worst offensive teams in the league, averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 26th in the MLB. They have been even worse at home, averaging 3.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .233 and have the 21st ranked home run total in the league.

Currently, Zach Neto leads the Angels with 63 RBIs and is also their top home run hitter, with 19 long balls. However, he has really struggled at the plate of late, going just 5/35 in his last nine games. Jo Adell is also near the top of the home run leaderboard but has a batting average of just .213 for the season.

Kevin Gausman is looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Reds, as he gets the start for the Blue Jays today. Against the Reds, he went five innings, giving up four earned runs, and took the loss. Before that outing, he had put together a nice streak of starts, picking up the win in three straight outings. One of those wins came vs. the Angels, where he didn’t give up a run in seven innings of work. Gausman’s ERA for the season is 4.24, along with a record of 11-9. Out of his 25 starts, he has 12 quality starts, two complete games, and one shutout.

So far this season, the Blue Jays offense has been one of the league’s worst, averaging just 4.2 runs per game, which is 22nd in the MLB. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .240, which is 14th in the league, and have the 15th best slugging percentage in the league. The Blue Jays are also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been a bright spot for the Blue Jays this season, as he is batting .318 with 27 home runs and 83 RBIs. George Springer is 2nd on the team with 17 homers, but he is batting just .219 for the season and has gone just 4/21 in his last five games. Ernie Clement has been one of the team’s top hitters of late, batting .278 with three homers in his last five games.

Blue Jays Aim to Sweep Season Series Against Angels in Finale

The Toronto Blue Jays are on the brink of completing a season series sweep against the Los Angeles Angels as they head into the final game of their four-game set on Sunday afternoon. After nearly throwing a no-hitter in Saturday’s 3-1 victory, the Blue Jays have shown dominance over the Angels, winning all six matchups so far this season.

Francis’ Near No-Hitter Steals the Show

Bowden Francis delivered an incredible performance on Saturday, carrying a no-hitter into the ninth inning before giving up a leadoff home run to Taylor Ward on his 117th pitch. While he didn’t get the no-hitter, Francis set a career high with 12 strikeouts over eight-plus innings, improving to 3-0 with a stunning 0.82 ERA in his last three starts.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider had full confidence in Francis, allowing him to continue pitching into the ninth inning. “He’s battled for a lot of years and has gotten to this point, so I didn’t want to take anything away from him,” Schneider said. “It was his until he gave up a hit.”

Reflecting on the near no-hitter, Francis said, “It’s all kind of an in-the-moment type of thing. It’s kind of like riding the wave and seeing how the game is going.”

Sunday’s Pitching Matchup: Gausman vs. Anderson

Toronto will turn to right-hander Kevin Gausman (11-9, 4.24 ERA) to close out the series on Sunday. Gausman has had solid success against the Angels, holding a 5-3 record with a 3.92 ERA in 10 career starts. In their last meeting on August 13, Gausman pitched seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory in Anaheim.

The Angels will counter with left-hander Tyler Anderson (10-11, 3.46 ERA), who has been impressive on the road this season, leading the American League with a 2.17 ERA away from home. However, Anderson has struggled against Toronto, posting an 0-2 record with a 5.96 ERA in four career starts. He allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 innings during a 9-2 loss to the Blue Jays on August 14.

Angels Battle Injuries

The Angels have been hit hard by injuries, with first baseman Nolan Schanuel and center fielder Mickey Moniak both sidelined. Schanuel, who’s been dealing with a sore back, is expected to miss Sunday’s game. “That [artificial] turf is bad out there,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “I’m not going to push it if he’s not feeling good.”

Schanuel has been productive in the No. 3 spot, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with four doubles in the eight games since being moved up in the lineup. Washington emphasized the importance of Schanuel’s health, saying, “If he’s not comfortable within himself, I don’t want him out there.”

Moniak, who was hit by a pitch in the series opener on Thursday, has missed the last two games. Washington mentioned that Moniak “might play Sunday” depending on how he feels.

Key Performances and Streaks

Daulton Varsho extended his on-base streak to 22 games with an infield hit on Saturday. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also continued his strong performance against the Angels, going 2-for-3 with a homer, double, two RBIs, and an intentional walk. Guerrero has been a force against the Angels this season, batting .400 (8-for-20) with three doubles, three homers, six RBIs, and three walks.

Blue Jays and Angels Prepare for Series Finale

As the Blue Jays aim to sweep the season series against the Angels, they’ll rely on Kevin Gausman’s strong pitching and continued offensive contributions from players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Meanwhile, the Angels will look to Tyler Anderson to help them avoid the sweep, even as they deal with key injuries. With Toronto’s dominance in the series so far, Sunday’s game could be the perfect cap to a flawless season series for the Blue Jays.

For a money-line pick, our lean would be to take the Blue Jays to come out on top at home vs. the Angels. And as for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 7th highest-scoring game of today’s slate, and this game is 9th in our projections in terms of home runs. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman has the 3rd best strikeout projection among today’s starters.