Angels vs. Blue Jays (August 27): Will Toronto take out Friday frustrations on Ohtani?

A blockbuster pitching matchup in the American League will open today’s MLB schedule, with Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels facing off with Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays.

In last night’s series opener, the Angels jumped out in front with a five-run second inning and rolled to a 12-0 win. The rout ended the Angels’ six-game losing streak, and it was just their second win in their last ten games.

Ohtani the hitter contributed to the skid-stopping win with a two-run triple in that five-run second frame, and today he will be looking to pick up his 11th win of the season as a pitcher.

On the other side, Manoah will be seeking his 13th win of the season as the Blue Jays push to keep pace in the highly competitive AL wild-card race.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Los Angeles Angels (53-73, 27-37 away, 4th in the AL West) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (68-56, 36-26 home, 3rd in the AL East)
• Venue & Location: Rogers Centre (Toronto, Canada)
• Date: Saturday, August 27, 2022
• Game Time: 3:07 p.m. Eastern Time
• Angels vs. Blue Jays TV Info: MLB Network

Angels vs. Blue Jays Pitching Matchup

• Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani (2022: 21 starts, 10-8, 2.83 ERA)
• Toronto Blue Jays: Alek Manoah (2022: 24 starts, 12-6, 2.66 ERA)

Angels vs. Blue Jays Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top online sports betting sites may also be featured in this article.

Moneyline

• Los Angeles Angels +128
• Toronto Blue Jays -152

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (+100)
• Under 7.5 (-122)

Run Line

• Los Angeles Angels +1.5 (-172)
• Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (+142)

Friday Fun Unlikely to be Followed by Saturday Success

Since winning 27 of their first 44 games, the Angels have won just 26 of their last 82 games, going from 10 games over .500 to 20 games under.

So, any win is a welcome win. But last night’s win, their tenth in 24 games in August, had to be especially satisfying because it broke a losing skid and was a rare offensive outburst.

In their first 23 games of the month, the Halos had scored three or fewer runs 15 times, including each of the seven games prior to their Friday feast.

Unfortunately, that prolific performance is unlikely to be followed by another one.

The Blue Jays are one of the best teams in the league following a loss, with their win percentage of .600 (33-22 record) ranking sixth in the league.

The Angels, meanwhile, rank 20th in games following a win with a win percentage of .442 (23-29 record). That may not look so bad for a team with one of MLB’s worst records, but they have won just five of their last 20 games in that scenario.

Also, the Halos are just 27-50 (.351) in games against teams with a .500 or better win percentage, while the Jays are 34-13 (.723) in games against teams below .500.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction and Picks

Angels vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Blue Jays to win

Angels vs. Blue Jays Picks: Blue Jays ML (Best Value: -148 at BetUS) & Blue Jays team total over 4 runs (Best Value: +104 at BetOnline)

After winning six consecutive Ohtani starts in June and July, the Angels have won just one of his last six.

Lefty Reid Detmers was key to last night’s win with 5.1 shutout innings, but there is almost a 50-point gulf between how Toronto fares in games started by LHP (.223 batting average and 3.36 runs per game) and in games started by RHP (.272 batting average and 5.03 runs per game).

Ohtani is one of the best in the business, even though he didn’t show it last time out against the Detroit Tigers (4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 K). But their numbers for the season indicate that the Jays should be much more productive at the plate than last night, and that will lead them to a victory this afternoon.

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