The Toronto Blue Jays continue their Interleague betting rotation Monday with a game against the Milwaukee Brewers
The Jays were swept at Miller Park during a three-game series in 2008 but they’ve won three in a row for the sixth time this season and rank fifth in overall scoring with 4.77 runs per game average
The Toronto Blue Jays had a grand total of three home wins against the Philadelphia Phillies in three years leading up the recent homestand but doubled that total Sunday by completing a three-game sweep at Rogers Centre.
It puts Toronto’s (34-32) overall record back above .500 and tonight the Jays begin a nine-game trek starting with the Brewers at Miller Park, where Milwaukee (30-36) has struggled against winning teams. The Cardinals, Dodgers, Reds and Giants went 7-5 at Miller Park this season and two of those five Brewer wins belong to Zack Greinke, who will miss this series after Sunday’s start in Minnesota.
Left-hander Randy Wolf (2-5, 5.06 ERA) gets the call Monday against a Blue Jay squad that climbed to fifth in overall scoring with 15 runs over the weekend. Toronto is hitting .245 against lefties with a 4.76 runs per game (RPG) average and in seven home starts for Wolf, the Brewers allowed an average of 5.86 RPG going 3-4.
Online sportsbooks list Toronto (-105) as a small road favorite and the total is 9 Under (-107). Henderson Alvarez (3-6, 3.87 ERA) has struggled in his last five starts but is still considered one of the Jays’ best options after injuries sent Brandon Morrow, Kyle Drabek and Drew Hutchison to the disabled list.
START OFF STRONG
Since the beginning of the season, Toronto has posted a 5-0 record in the first game of a road trip and their most recent tour, starting in Chicago June 5, the Jays cranked out 13 hits in a 9-5 win.
– The Blue Jays are scoring an average of 6.2 RPG in the first game of a road trip in 2012
MLB PICKS
The Blue Jays have strung together six three-game win streaks this season and they are 3-2 in the fourth game including a 2-1 record away from home. John Farrell has this club believing they can win and the bullpen, who ranks 18th with a 3.78 ERA, has actually played better away from home (3. (aristocratps.com) 28 ERA). Sports handicapping sites show a 60-40 split in the action to Toronto and I like the setup but a short start from Alvarez could put a lot of pressure on the middle relievers. Team totals are Jays OV 4.5 (-102) and Brewers OV 4 (-120) and with the Jays swinging a hot bat, my play is on the team total.
Pick: Take the Blue Jays Team Total Over 4.5 runs
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