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Yankees vs Blue Jays Picks and Odds (April 14)

Ryan Bolta

by Ryan Bolta in MLB Baseball

Updated Apr 13, 2021 · 10:06 PM PDT

Vladimir Guerrero Jr celebrating with Teoscar Hernandez
Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates with Blue Jays Teoscar Hernandez after Hernandez hit a game-tying solo home run off New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole during the sixth inning of a major league baseball game on opening day at Yankee Stadium, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
  • The New York Yankees (5-6) face the Toronto Blue Jays (5-6) on Wednesday afternoon (1:07 pm ET)
  • Corey Kluber and Ross Stripling are listed as the starting pitchers
  • Read below for a preview and best bets for the game

Ready for a rubber match between two AL teams that can both crush the baseball?

The New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays split the first two games of their series and will play one more Wednesday afternoon at 1:07 pm ET at Dunedin Stadium. The  Yankees are comfortable favorites in the finale with Corey Kluber taking the mound against Ross Stripling.

Yankees vs Blue Jays Odds

Team Moneyline Runline Total at FanDuel
New York Yankees -126 -1.5 (+118) O 10.5 (-115)
Toronto Blue Jays +108 +1.5 (-142) U 10.5 (-105)

Odds as of April 13th.

The pitching matchup is an interesting one and there’s one player in particular worth watching. Let’s take a deep dive into some important storylines to try and find the edge on the betting line.

Can Kluber Find His Old Stuff?

Corey Kluber was once the most dominant pitcher in the American League. He won the Cy Young in both 2014 and 2017 and had a sub-4.00 ERA for five straight seasons.

Things are much different now. He was traded to Texas prior to last season and pitched all of one inning before hurting his shoulder and getting shut down for the season. He moved to New York in the off-season and his first start didn’t go as planned. He enters Wednesday’s game 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA.

Blue Jays Career Stats vs Kluber

Player AB H HR RBI K AVG
Marcus Semien 20 4 2 2 5 .200
Bo Bichette 2 0 0 0 1 .000
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1 1 0 0 0 1.000
Randal Grichuk 1 0 0 0 1 .000
Cavan Biggio 2 1 0 0 1 .500
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 2 1 0 0 0 .500
Rowdy Tellez 2 0 0 0 1 .000
Danny Jansen 1 0 0 0 0 .000
Josh Palacios 0 0 0 0 0 .200

Asking “what have you done for me lately?” in this case doesn’t bring many positive answers. If you’re really digging, you can point to a Blue Jays lineup that’s thin on experience against him, but that only means so much.

Stripling Looking to Impress Blue Jays Brass

Ross Stripling never had the high end talent of a pitcher like Kluber but he was certainly a serviceable major leaguer. Since the beginning of last year however he has been a train wreck. Stripling had seven starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers and posted a 5.61 ERA and 1.46 WHIP before being dealt to Toronto.

Somehow, his numbers got worse with the Blue Jays. He tallied a 6.32 ERA and 1.60 WHIP after the deal but still managed to stay in the rotation this season.

Yankees Career Stats vs Stripling

Player AB H HR RBI K AVG
DJ LeMahieu 19 7 0 1 1 .368
Giancarlo Stanton 5 2 1 2 1 .400
Aaron Judge 3 1 0 0 0 .333
Gary Sanchez 6 1 1 1 1 .167
Aaron Hicks 5 0 0 0 2 .000
Gleyber Torres 5 2 0 2 1 .400
Gio Urshela 3 1 0 0 1 .333
Clint Frazier 5 2 0 0 2 .400
Jay Bruce 4 0 0 0 2 .000

His first start of this year looked much like his starts last season. He enters Wednesday’s game against the Yankees with an 0-1 record and a 7.56 ERA. To make matters worse, New York’s best hitters have all had success against him in the past. Getting past the top of the order will be a major challenge for Stripling.

Guerrero Looking to Earn Big Pay Day

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entered the major leagues with giant expectations. The chatter wasn’t much different than other superstar youngsters Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ronald Acuna. Guerrero has been forced to watch his peers get paid, while he still tries to find his footing. Tatis Jr. of course landed the massive 14 year, $330 million deal and Acuna signed for eight years and $100 million. As for Guerrero this season? His salary comes in at $605,400.

Guerrero appears to be doing everything in his power to be the next young star to sign a big deal. He came into the season having cut major weight and he is putting up some very impressive numbers. He comes in with a .521 OBP and has 9 RBI in the Blue Jays 11 games played. He is definitely a hitter worth watching with this tasty pitching matchup.

Bet the Over Confidently

Two pitchers struggling to find their form on the mound and two of the scariest lineups in the American League. It’s a match made in heaven for bettors who love betting the over. Trust Guerrero to have a big day and keep in mind he’s one of several heavy hitters. Take the over and don’t be shy about it.

The Pick: Over 10.5 Runs (-115)


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