Weather for Blue Jays vs Angels Game – 5/8/25

Toronto Blue Jays

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Los Angeles Angels

As the Los Angeles Angels host the Toronto Blue Jays on May 8, 2025, both teams enter this matchup struggling in the standings, with the Angels sitting at 15-20 and the Blue Jays at 16-20. This is the third game of the series, and after a tightly contested game yesterday, where the Angels fell short, both teams will be looking to gain momentum.

The Angels are projected to start right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano, who has had a rocky season with a 2-4 record and a respectable ERA of 3.83. Soriano’s low strikeout rate of 18.5 K% could be a concern as he faces a Blue Jays offense that ranks 3rd in MLB for the least strikeouts. However, Soriano excels at inducing ground balls, boasting a 64% ground ball rate, which may neutralize the Blue Jays’ lack of power—evidenced by their 30th ranking in home runs this season.

On the other side, the Blue Jays will counter with Chris Bassitt, another right-hander who has been solid with a 2-2 record and an excellent 2.95 ERA. Bassitt’s ability to limit walks, with a BB% of just 4.2, could give him an edge against an Angels lineup that ranks 1st in MLB for the least walks. However, Bassitt has also struggled with hits allowed, ranking poorly in that category.

In terms of overall team performance, the Angels rank 26th in MLB offensively, while the Blue Jays sit at 24th. Interestingly, the Angels have a strong bullpen, ranked 8th in MLB, which could play a crucial role late in the game.

With the game total set at 8.5 runs, the betting markets reflect a close matchup, favoring the Blue Jays slightly with a moneyline of -125. However, the Angels’ strong bullpen and Soriano’s ability to keep the ball on the ground could tip the scales in their favor, making for an intriguing contest.

Toronto Blue Jays Insights

• Toronto Blue Jays – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-125)
  Chris Bassitt is an extreme flyball pitcher (34.3% FB% per the leading projection system, THE BAT) and will be disadvantaged pitching in the #7 HR venue among all major league stadiums in this game.
  Explain: This pitcher’s skill set does not match up particularly well with the park he’s in today, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
• Daulton Varsho – Over/Under 0.5 Total Bases (-170/+135)
  Daulton Varsho is an extreme flyball batter and matches up with the strong outfield defense of Los Angeles (#1-best of all teams on the slate).
  Explain: This player’s skill set matches up poorly with the opposing team’s defensive strength, which may lead to worse-than-usual performance.
• The Toronto Blue Jays (19.1 K% (according to the leading projection system, THE BAT X) are forecasted to have the least strikeout-prone team of batters on the slate today.
  Explain: THE BAT X analyzes each player in today’s specific lineup to figure out which teams have the least inherent strikeout potential for the opposing pitcher.

Los Angeles Angels Insights

• Jose Soriano – Over/Under 4.5 Strikeouts (+130/-170)
  Jose Soriano has used his four-seamer 6.6% less often this year (7.2%) than he did last season (13.8%).
  Explain: Fastballs are the one easiest pitches to hit and generate few strikeouts, so a pitcher who begins to use his fastball lessoften will likely be more effective than he used to be.
• Yoan Moncada – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-160/+125)
  Yoan Moncada is projected to bat 6th on the lineup card in this matchup, which would be a downgrade from his 67% rate of hitting in the top-half of the lineup this year.
  Explain: The lower in the order a player bats, the fewer plate appearances he will get and the fewer opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits lower in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting higher.
• Los Angeles Angels – 2H Moneyline
  According to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Los Angeles Angels’ bullpen projects as the 9th-best among all MLB teams.
  Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.

Betting Trends

• Los Angeles Angels – Over/Under 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total
  The Los Angeles Angels have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 8 of their last 10 games (+6.43 Units / 57% ROI)
• Toronto Blue Jays – Over/Under 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total
  The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the 1st Five Innings (F5) Team Total Under in 9 of their last 11 away games (+7.45 Units / 58% ROI)
• Luis Rengifo – Over/Under 0.5 Hits (-215/+165)
  Luis Rengifo has hit the Hits Under in 12 of his last 20 games (+8.75 Units / 39% ROI)