The Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics will finish off a three-game set on Sunday, with both clubs picking up one win apiece so far in the series. Oakland snapped an eight-game losing skid in the opener while Toronto is 3-1 over its last four contests.
Yusei Kikuchi gets the ball for Toronto as the southpaw looks to build on a strong month of June and his best outing of the year last time out.
Can Kikuchi help the hosts win the series finale? Find out what I think in my Athletics vs. Blue Jays MLB picks for Sunday, June 25.
A's vs Blue Jays odds
A's vs Blue Jays predictions
The Oakland Athletics eked out a 5-4 win in the series opener thanks to a solo shot in the ninth inning from Shea Langeliers but the Toronto Blue Jays replied with some firepower in Saturday’s meeting as Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen each hit two-run blasts to lead Toronto to victory.
It was another strong showing from Jose Berrios on the Toronto mound as well as he went six innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out eight. The Blue Jays will hope for a similar performance today from Yusei Kikuchi, who’s continuing to show improvement this season.
The left hander held the Marlins to just two hits while pitching six scoreless innings in his last start on June 20. Prior to that, Kikuchi had held his opponents to two earned runs in each of his four previous outings.
The Athletics come into the ballgame with the worst-ranked offense in baseball, scoring just 3.54 runs per contest this season. Oakland has been even worse of late, averaging a minuscule 2.63 runs per game over its last 11 outings.
With Kikuchi looking strong, I expect the Blue Jays to take the lead early and hold on.
My best bet: Blue Jays to win halftime/full-time result (-147 at SIA)
A's vs Blue Jays same-game parlay
Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 hits
Springer Over 0.5 hits
Kikuchi 5+ Ks
I'm going to ride some of Toronto’s hot hands in today’s same-game parlay, banking on hits from Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, as well as a five-strikeout performance from Kikuchi.
Guerrero Jr. had a big game on Saturday with two hits and three RBI — a continuation of a hot month of June for the Jays slugger. He’s recorded a hit in five of his last seven outings and in 16 of 22 games this month.
Meanwhile, Springer also recorded two hits yesterday and now has a hit in six of his last seven contests, with four multi-hit games over that span.
Kikuchi is not a strikeout machine by any means, but he has recorded at least five Ks in three of his last four starts. The Athletics also average 9.29 strikeouts per game — the fifth-worst mark in the majors — so the Blue Jays' starter shouldn’t have much trouble fanning at least five assuming he puts in five or six innings of work.
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A's vs Blue Jays moneyline and Over/Under analysis
Toronto opened as a huge favorite at -273 on the moneyline and had its edge jump as high as -305 by Saturday night. Though the payout won’t be too enticing, it’s hard not to like the hosts in this one given the pitching matchup and how bad Oakland has been.
Luis Medina takes the mound for the Athletics, holding a 1-6 record and a massive 7.01 ERA over nine starts. He was solid in his last outing — allowing just four hits and one earned run over 4.1 innings against the Guardians — but has given up four earned runs or more in three of his last five outings.
The total for this one is 9.5 runs and I’m taking the Under, primarily due to the expectation that Oakland’s bats will come up limp again. The Athletics have seen 10 total runs scored in just two of their 12 games, while the Blue Jays have seen that happen three times in their last 10 contests.
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Trend to know
The Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Blue Jays
A's vs Blue Jays game info
| Location: | Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Sunday, June 25, 2023 |
| First pitch: | 1:37 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBC Sports Southern California, Sportsnet |
Starting pitchers
Luis Medina (1-6, 7.01 ERA): Medina had a rough start to his MLB career, allowing eight hits and seven earned runs in his debut against the Angels back on April 26, and things haven’t gotten much better since. The 24-year-old had his best start of the year last time out but has surrendered at least three earned runs in seven of his nine outings.
Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 3.97 ERA): The redemption tour continues for Kikuchi, who’s in the midst of a career year. The southpaw had a rough May with a 5.83 ERA over six starts but has bounced back nicely in June — posting a 2.61 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over four appearances.
