Thursday MLB Betting Preview: AL East Focus

The red-hot Toronto Blue Jays will look to continue their strong play Thursday night as they kick off a four-game series with the AL East leading New York Yankees in Toronto.

The Blue Jays entered play Wednesday having won seven of their last eight games. A healthy lineup and a reignited offense was at least partially responsible for their turnaround, as they scored 48 runs and hit 16 home runs in those seven wins.

Getting the start for Toronto on Thursday night will be Marco Estrada (4-2, 3.15), while CC Sabathia (5-2, 4.42) goes for New York.

Estrada stifled the Texas Rangers in his last outing, holding them to one run on four hits over six innings, and in his lone start against the Yankees this season he recorded the win after allowing one run over seven innings. Toronto was a +165 underdog at the Bovada Sportsbook in that game and won 7-1.

Sabathia has won his last three starts and allowed two runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings last time out against the Oakland Athletics. In his only start against Toronto this season he was roughed up for six runs in only four innings.

In the lone series between New York and Toronto this season the Yankees took two of three games at home. However, in Toronto the Blue Jays are a surprising 8-1 in their last nine versus New York.

Staying in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles get a four-game series started Thursday night in Baltimore. The Red Sox and Orioles have already met up nine times this season with Baltimore leading the season series with five wins.

Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 2.77) will get the start for Boston, while Wade Miley (1-3, 3.02) will go for Baltimore.

Rodriguez has posted a win in three straight starts and was dominant against the Seattle Mariners in his last outing with six shutout innings. He faced the Orioles in late April and limited them to one hit with seven strikeouts over six shutout innings.

Miley is 0-3 in his last eight starts and was tagged with the loss last time out against the Houston Astros after surrendering four runs on eight hits over five innings. A former Red Sox, Miley has faced Boston only once in his career and it did not go well, as he was blasted for six runs on eight hits in only 1 1-3 innings.