This is an 8* SITUATIONAL PITCHING MISMATCH on the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Jays were "Oh So Close" yesterday, close but no cigar! Suffice it to say, I look for the struggling home side to rebound here and to find a way to get the job done at the end of the night. Toronto is on the verge of falling to .500 for the first time in 3 1/2 months and turns to veteran RA Dickey (10-12, 4.08 ERA) to stop the slide; Dickey will be throwing with confidence today, he's fared well against the Red Sox throughout his prestigious career, he had already posted a highly respectable 2.79 ERA in three straight starts against them before then giving up one run off three scattered hits while striking out a season-high 10 in his most recent outing against them, a 14-1 destruction back on July 31st: "We have run into some good pitching, but still we're a team that should score runs and we haven't been doing that," said Jays manager John Gibbons last night. "Disappointing, definitely disappointing." A date vs. Rubby De La Rosa is just what the doctor ordered for the home side to get untracked at the plate though! Note the De La Rosa (4-5, 3.69 ERA) is 0-2 with a deplorable 8.10 ERA in two starts vs. Toronto this year. There are three big categories I look at first when handicapping an MLB contest and they are: Starting pitching, motivational/situational factors and recent performance at the plate; I give Toronto the nod in all three categories tonight and while it's struggled a bit with the bat of late, I liked the way the team rallied late last night, I look for it to come out highly focused here, all signs point to the JAYS as the sharp wager in this one.

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