Back Blue Jays To Keep Wild Card Lead Alive

Blue Jays vs. Yankees, 7:05 ET

We returned to baseball after a lot of football plays the past few days and it was a great day for us as we took down our moneyline parlay, and we were able to grab an under in the game between the White Sox and Nationals. Not only did the moneyline parlay cash, but the run line version would've cashed as well. Hopefully, we wind down the season with more of these wins as teams look to lock up playoff positions. That quest for a playoff spot includes the Toronto Blue Jays tonight as they take on the Yankees.

Just a few days ago, the Blue Jays looked like the team that would be out of the playoff race as they stumbled badly against the Texas Rangers. Now, they own the second Wild Card spot and still have a game lead. It would be a bit of a shame if they can't make the playoffs because I'm still convinced they could do some damage. They have a strong, but not great, pitching staff. They have a very tough lineup that can hit for average and hit for power. I think the Blue Jays could be a sleeper for the World Series, but they need to lock up the playoffs before that happens. Tonight, they get their best pitcher to keep them rolling as they have Kevin Gausman taking the hill. If we are being honest, I wasn't a huge believer in Gausman, but he's certainly a strong pitcher for the Blue Jays. This season has been one of the better seasons of his career. He's been slightly worse on the road than at home, but part of that is because he isn't pitching as deep into games away from Toronto. He has excelled against the Yankees this season as he has made two starts and allowed just two earned runs over 14 innings. His one start in Yankee Stadium saw him go seven innings and strikeout 11 while allowing no runs on three scattered hits.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 28: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees warms up before the start of the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 28, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Yankees are technically still in the playoff race. There are just over 10 games remaining and they are seven games back in the Wild Card race with multiple teams in front of them. I don't know the playoff probability percentage, but I have to imagine it is somewhere between 0% and 1%. And, 1% might be a bit too high. I think we can trust the Yankees to be one of the teams that makes some changes in the offseason after this disappointing campaign. It seems that collectively the team has not been able to get out of a year-long hitting slump. Their pitching has been pretty solid overall actually as a squad. At the beginning of the year, I was expecting the pitching to be the Achilles heel of the Yankees but it turned out to be the hitting. Tonight, they are trying out Michael King once again as a starter. He's been a reliever much of the season, but right now it looks like they are seeing if he can be a part of the rotation for next year. He's only allowed one earned run in each of the past three starts he's made. He hasn't made it past the fifth inning in any of the outings though so he is still causing a bit of a burden on the Yankees, but at least he is keeping them in the game. The Blue Jays have only hit .211 against King so they'll need to improve tonight if they want to grab a win.

I wouldn't be surprised if this game goes under but the total isn't one I typically like to play with a 7.5 posting. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave much room for error or randomness. I do think the Blue Jays understand the importance of this game and will win it. I'm going to take the Blue Jays at -115 for the game and hope Gausman can do what he's being paid the big bucks for.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024