Oakland has been outscored 20-8 in dropping the first two games of this series and its major league-best 3.36 ERA has gone up to 3.49 due to the starting staff being roughed up. The Athletics have now dropped seven of eight games against the Yankees this season. Tonight marks the 25th time in 37 games this season that the club has played a team that was in first place in their division, posting a 10-14 record in the previous 24 encounters.

Athletics starting pitcher Brett Anderson is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season, posting a 3-5 record and 3.32 ERA. Tonight will be his seventh outing since being reinstated from the disabled list July 30. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA over his last four starts and the losing streak is one short of his career high. In three career starts versus the Yankees, Anderson is 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA, with all appearances occurring last season.

New York ended August on a four-game winning streak and start the final month of the season with a one game lead in the AL East race. "That's what August is all about - the dog days," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "You're going to have injuries, you're going to have bumps and bruises." The club has dominated opponents during the middle of the week, posting an impressive 17-6 mark on Wednesday during this season and 55-21 over the last three seasons.

Yankee starting pitcher A.J. Burnett is 9-12 with a 5.17 ERA in 26 starts this season and the club has dropped his last five outings. He suffered a 9-4 road loss against the White Sox last time out, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits over 3.1 innings of work. The right-hander has made eight career starts versus the Athletics, producing an even 3-3 mark and 4.00 ERA, while tonight will mark his first outing against them at Yankee Stadium.

Recommended Bet

Bettors will find that the Athletics are 2-9 in their last 11 games as a road underdog and the club has failed to score a run in three of Anderson's last four starts. That doesn't bode well when facing a team that has the best record in baseball, even if, the starting pitcher on their side is struggling.

Back: New York Yankees (1.72/-139)

Toronto fell to 33-36 away from the Rogers Centre with last night's loss and are now 12-11 on the road since the All-Star break. The Blue Jays lead the majors with 198 home runs, which is 25 more than the Red Sox that ranks second with 173. The club also paces baseball with 40 big flies in August. Toronto has compiled a solid 57-47 record against right-handed starters this year.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Ricky Romero is 10-8 with a 3.54 ERA in 26 starts this season and the club has dropped his last two outings. In that span, he has allowed 10 runs (seven earned) and 13 hits over 12.2 innings. The left-hander is an even 5-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 15 road starts this year. In three career games versus the Rays, Romero stands at a 1-1 record and 2.57 ERA.

Tampa Bay kept pace with the New York Yankees in the AL East divisional race for the eighth consecutive day with a 6-2 series opening win against the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. The Rays have won 12 of 16 overall and 22 of 28 at Tropicana Field. The club is 7-6 in the season series this season after going 14-4 during the 2009 campaign. Against divisional foes, Tampa has posted a stellar 31-19 record and the total runs is 26-23 Over/Under in those games.

Rays starting pitcher Jeff Niemann is 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 23 starts this season and is coming off a dreadful appearance. He allowed 10 runs and eight hits over just 3.1 innings in a 12-3 road loss to the Angels. The right-hander is a solid 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 home starts, issuing 24 free passes and collecting 54 strikeouts in 75.2 frames. In six career starts versus the Blue Jays, Niemann has posted a 3-1 record and 4.04 ERA.

Recommended Bet:

Bettors will find that the over is 5-1 in Romero's last six starts overall, which fits nicely with the Rays averaging 5.2 runs per game against left-handers. The over is also 5-1 in Niemann's last six starts.

Back: Over 8.5 Runs (2.00/Even)

Match Odds/Moneyline: Toronto (2.38/+138), Tampa Bay (1.69/-145)
Total Runs: Under 8.5 Runs (1.96/-104), Over 8.5 Runs (2/Even)

Toronto comes into this series having split 12 games with the Rays this season, after dropping 14 of 18 contests in 2009. It's important to note that despite the season series being tied between the two clubs, the Blue Jays have been outscored by a 69-45 margin in those games. The club is 14-13 in August this season and 40-41 during the month last three years.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Brett Cecil is 11-6 with a 3.80 ERA in 22 starts this season and comes in on a two-game winning streak. In those outings, he has allowed two runs in each game while allowing 16 combined hits in 14.2 innings of work. The left-hander has produced a solid 4-1 mark and 3.45 ERA in six career games (five starts) versus the Rays.

Tampa Bay captured a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, giving the club 11 wins in its last 15 opportunities. The Rays have garnered a 21-5 record in their last 26 home games versus the Blue Jays, including taking two of three in both series in tonight's venue this season. The team has a 21-6 mark at home since July 1, which is the best record in the majors over that span.

Rays starting pitcher Wade Davis is 10-9 with a 4.41 ERA in 22 starts this season, with the club picking up victories in six of his last seven outings. He garnered a 10-3 road victory over the Angels last time out, giving up two runs and six hits over 5.1 innings. He has faced the Blue Jays just once in his career, dropping a 3-2 home contest on June 10.

Recommended Bet:

Bettors are getting great value on playing the Blue Jays in this contest due to the Rays possibly suffering a hangover from last night's primetime victory. Toronto is also a perfect 7-0 in Cecil's last seven starts versus the AL East. Hold off until game time to get the best odds.

Back: Toronto Blue Jays 2.38 (+138)

New York finished off a six-game road trip with a 3-3 record and now head off on a 10-game road trip, the team's longest of the season. The Mets pitching staff has posted a 3.42 ERA since the All-Star break, but the team has compiled a losing 17-25 record over that span. The club is in a current stretch of playing 26 straight games with a record of .500, one game above or one game below, which is a franchise record.

Mets starting pitcher Pat Misch has an 0-3 record and 3.50 ERA in three starts this season, as the offense has provided him just six runs of support. The left-hander will be making just his second road start of the year, dropping a 3-2 contest against the Astros two outings back. He is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in five games (one start) versus the Braves at Turner Field.

Atlanta holds a two game lead over the Phillies in the divisional race and has posted a 26-22 mark against divisional foes this season. The Braves have a dominating 18-1-2 home series record this season and look to even up the season series with the Mets at six games apiece tonight.

Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens is 5-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts this season, but is coming off one of his worst outings of the year. He allowed seven runs and nine hits over just 5.1 innings in a 12-10 no-decision loss at Colorado. The right-hander has a perfect 5-0 record and 1.81 ERA in seven home starts.

Recommended Bet

Bettors will find it hard to ignore the Mets 3-23 record in their last 26 games following a win, especially when considering that the Braves have won all seven of Jurrjens home starts.

Back: Atlanta Braves (1.52/-179)