Oakland @ Toronto preview
Rogers Centre
Last Meeting ( May 23, 2014 ) Oakland 2, Toronto 3
The Toronto Blue Jays may not be familiar with being in first place in their division, but they seem to be embracing their recent success. The surging Blue Jays eye their 10th victory in 12 games on Saturday, when they continue a three-game home set against the Oakland Athletics. Toronto has won 14-of-19 since falling a season-low four games under .500 on May 3 and leads the American League East after May 23 for only the second time since 2000.
The Blue Jays won their fourth in a row on Friday, defeating Oakland in the series opener to kick off their 10-game homestand. The Athletics, who sport a major league-best 18-8 road record, entered this set as the only team hotter than Toronto with victories in 11 of their previous 13 but have dropped two straight after also losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in extra innings on Thursday. Oakland, which leads the AL with 245 runs, has scored three or fewer in four consecutive contests and will try to avoid tying a season high with a third straight defeat.
TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MLBN, CSN California (Oakland), RSN (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jesse Chavez (4-1, 2.54 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (4-4, 4.20)
Chavez won for the third time in four turns Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits over five frames in a 13-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians. The longtime reliever-turned-starter has thrived in his new role, sporting a 57:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 56 2/3 innings – two-thirds of an inning shy of the number of frames he worked in 35 relief appearances last season. Chavez was roughed up for three runs and only recorded one out in relief versus the Blue Jays on July 31 in his first career appearance against them.
Despite inducing 18 ground balls – the most he has forced in an outing since 2010 – against the Texas Rangers, Dickey took the loss for the first time in six outings in Sunday’s 6-2 road setback. The 39-year-old knuckleballer yielded four runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings. Dickey did not factor in the decision in either of his two turns versus the Athletics last season despite posting a 2.08 ERA and is 1-4 with a 4.92 ERA in 14 career appearances (10 starts) against them.
WALK-OFFS
1. Oakland 1B Brandon Moss, who went 2-for-4 with a homer on Friday, is batting .368 with 17 extra-base hits (including seven homers) and 20 RBIs over his last 18 games.
2. The Blue Jays lead the majors in home runs in May (36) and on the season (68).
3. The Athletics have been successful on 28 of their 31 stolen-base attempts, with the resulting 90.3 percent success rate being the highest in the majors.
PREDICTION: Athletics 6, Blue Jays 3