Daily MLB Picks: Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays August 1, 2023

We preview Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays on August 1, 2023 and give our expert predictions and best bet.

The American League East has a chance to see the rarest of baseball feats this season – a division where all five teams finish with winning records.

This week’s highlight is a four-game set between the AL-leading Baltimore Orioles and the contending Toronto Blue Jays. Here’s a closer look at Tuesday’s matchup.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays Odds & Game Info

Baltimore Orioles Preview

The Orioles travel to the Great White North off a series victory over the Yankees, with the highlight a one-sided, 9-3 victory on Sunday Night Baseball.

A seven-run first inning for the Birds featured a three-run homer for 2B Adam Frazier, who has a 1.000 OPS over his past seven games. The rest of the lineup could use a wake-up call after a couple of mediocre performances against the Yankees as well as earlier in the week at Philadelphia.

An encouraging sign for Tuesday? The Orioles hit lefties slightly better than righties. If they can take advantage against Toronto’s Hyun Jim Ryu, their chances of maintaining their AL East lead increase.

Another key will be the performance of 26-year-old Kyle Bradish, sporting a 6-6 record this year with a 3.29 ERA. Bradish averages just under a strikeout per inning, but also allows less than one home run for every nine innings pitched. Avoiding those long balls against the Blue Jays will be the key for Baltimore to keep the game in their favor.

Toronto Blue Jays Preview

Left hander Hyun Jin Ryu returns to make his first start since June 2022 following Tommy John Surgery.

Wisely, the Blue Jays won’t rush the 36-year-old in his return to the mound. Blue Jays manager John Schneider plans to implement a six-man rotation, meaning Ryu won’t pitch more than once a week for the foreseeable future.

Looking at Ryu’s numbers seems pointless after a 14-month layoff, but he was one of baseball’s best in 2019 and 2020 before falling off in the ensuing seasons. Last season’s disastrous start might be explained by the subsequent surgery, but it’ll be some time before we know just what to expect from Ryu.

One thing we do know is Ryu threw 85 pitches in last week’s minor league rehab start, so he shouldn’t be on any kind of pitch count or innings limit.

Offensively, Bo Bichette leads the Blue Jays in batting average and slugging percentage and is currently on fire with a 1.073 OPS over the past seven games.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays Prediction for 08/01/2023

It’s been a process for the Orioles to gain respect this season. I was surprised to see Toronto favored in this game, given Ryu’s long layoff, Bradish’s consistency and the fairly similar offensive profiles of the two teams.

Maybe Ryu’s strong seasons in 2019 and 2020 still carry a lot of weight. Maybe it’s the homefield advantage in Toronto.

But Baltimore’s been surprising people all season, and I’ll back them for the mild upset on Tuesday.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays Best Bet