We’re 36-18 (66.6%) the last month in free MLB Picks– let’s get another!
Blue Jays (+110), 1.5 units: Toronto is surging. The Jays blasted the Yankees in the first two games of this series by scores of 8-0 and 5-1, and they have now won 6 straight games. Meanwhile, the home-team Yankees are in a slump; they’ve lost 4 games in a row, including two ugly losses against Baltimore in the Bronx. The final month of the regular season isn’t a good time to struggle but things are starting to unravel for NYY. Joey Gallo and Gleyber Torres were dropped from the Yankees lineup yesterday after going an ice cold 0-7 Monday night. The Yankees have only mustered 1 run in their last 2 games and over the last week, they’re the worst offense in baseball. They’re dead last in slugging % and batting average, and they’re 29th in wOBA and OBP. Eventually that will regress to the mean but I don’t think this is the spot. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, are top 2 in all of those same offensive categories. They’re also top 10 in team-ERA and they’ve had the most consistently productive offense in MLB all year.
Alek Manoah (3.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP over 79.1 innings) will assume starter responsibilities for Toronto. Alek is good for getting blown up at least once a month, the latest being a 6 run allowance against the Athletics, but I expect better results for the rest of September. The big-bodied Manoah has a commanding frame and still boasts a 3.63 xERA; he’s also been great at limiting big slugs, which is a must against a homerun-dependent Yankees unit. His only start against the Yankees was a 2 hit, 0 run allowance in the Bronx, something we hope he can duplicate this afternoon. Luis Gil (RHP, 0.00 ERA, 1.02 WHIP over 15.2 innings) has looked sensational in 3 starts for the Yankees. The 23 year old will face a massive test today against a white-hot Toronto lineup, which could result in either another dynamic showing or disastrous results for New York.
I’m betting on the latter. We’re getting a Blue Jays team with a ton of momentum and a lot of motivation as they seek to close the gap in the AL West. Give me Toronto to take a 3-game series lead on the Yankees.
