Oakland Athletics vs Toronto Blue Jays Prediction, 9/4/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Oakland Athletics vs Toronto Blue Jays

Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021

Location: Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON

TV: Sportsnet

Odds/Point Spread: Oakland (+135) Toronto (-172)

Jose Berrios and the Toronto Blue Jays (70-62, 4th in AL East) host the Oakland Athletics (74-60, 2nd in AL West) at Rogers Centre on Saturday. The Athletics open this matchup at +135 while the Blue Jays are priced at -172. The total has been set at 9. The starting pitchers are Paul Blackburn and Jose Berrios.

The Athletics have accounted for 226 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 166 baseballs out of the park. Oakland has a slugging percentage of .407 and have been rung up 1,127 times, while taking a walk on 448 occasions. As a team, the Oakland Athletics are scoring 4.5 runs per game, which has them sitting at 17th in MLB. They have compiled 557 runs batted in and 1,043 hits on the season, and their batting average comes in at .236. They have 594 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .315.

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The Athletics have compiled a team ERA of 3.75 so far this year (8th in baseball), and their staff has struck out 1,095 batters. They have a K/BB ratio of 3.05 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.22. Athletics pitchers have conceded 148 long balls and also 529 total runs (7th in baseball). Their pitching staff has walked 359 opposing hitters and their FIP comes in at 3.96 as a team on the campaign.

Athletics relief pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 98 times and also have had 120 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have a total of 59 holds on the campaign (20th in baseball). The Athletics relievers have earned a save percentage of 60.0% and has come into the game in 114 save situations. They have recorded 33 saves so far this year and have blown 22 of their 55 save chances. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 140 runners so far this year with 35.0% of those runners crossed the plate. The Athletics have sent 407 relievers to the mound for the year.

The Athletics have turned 70.5% of baseballs in play into outs in their 10,617 innings on the field, which ranks them 6th in baseball. The Oakland Athletics have earned a total of 3,539 putouts on the campaign, in addition to 1,073 assists and 58 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .988 which is 3rd in professional baseball, and they have twisted 901 double plays.

Blackburn has taken the mound for 115 innings and has accumulated 60 strikeouts in his pro baseball career. Blackburn (5-8 career win-loss mark) sits with a FIP of 4.32 and he has gone up against 493 opposing hitters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 5.29 (68 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.401. He has surrendered 130 hits (10.1 hits per 9 innings) and has 32 free passes.

The Toronto Blue Jays have an OBP of .326 and a team batting average of .262 this year. They have struck out on 1,013 instances (29th in baseball) and have tallied 1,166 base hits. Toronto has accumulated 197 home runs on the campaign to go along with 630 RBIs. The Blue Jays hold a team slugging percentage of .450 and they tally 4.97 runs per game (7th in baseball). They have tallied 221 two-baggers, while getting a free base 395 times as well as scoring 656 runs.

The Blue Jays hold a team WHIP of 1.243 and have a FIP of 4.08 as a staff for the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 3.04 (1,187 strikeouts vs 391 walks). They come in at 10th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,031. They have conceded 161 homers and they surrender 4.24 runs per 9 innings (11th in the league). The Toronto pitching staff have conceded 539 runs this year while having a team ERA of 3.85 (489 earned runs surrendered).

Toronto has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the contest in 43 save chances and they have earned 26 saves. They sit at 17th in the league holding a save percentage of 60.5%, and they have dispatched 445 relief pitchers onto the diamond so far this year. Their relievers have stepped onto the hill 137 times in high leverage situations and on 145 occasions with runners on base. Toronto relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.3% out of their 208 inherited base runners. With 96 save situations, the Blue Jays have compiled 50 holds and 17 blown saves.

In 10,299 innings on the diamond, the Blue Jays have earned a efficiency on defense of 69.6% (15th in professional baseball). The Toronto Blue Jays have turned 100 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .983 (22nd in baseball). The Blue Jays have recorded 1,135 assists, 78 errors and have accounted for 3,433 putouts during this campaign.

Thus far in his career, Berrios has allowed 748 base hits while tallying 815 strikeouts in 812 innings pitched. Berrios (57-45 career win-loss record) has earned a 4.06 earned run average and has surrendered 8.3 hits per nine innings. He has allowed a total of 367 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.242 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.0. His K/BB ratio is 3.12 and he has faced 3,438 batters so far in his career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Toronto (-172)

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