Marquee Baseball Game: Blue Jays @ Oakland

Any time that two of the best teams in the MLB face off like the Toronto Blue Jays and the Oakland Athletics it is going to be a marquee game of the day.  However, add to it that that two veteran All-Star pitchers will also be colliding adds to the intrigue of this game.

This is the third game in a four-game series, but this is going to be the most interesting of the batch as Scott Kazmir for the A’s and Mark Buehrle for the Blue Jays will be taking the mound.

Kazmir is 9-3 with a 2.61 ERA this season. Kazmir is most comfortable at home, though, where he is 5-1 with a 1.61 ERA. That is good enough for the second-lowest home ERA in the American League.

There was some worry over Kazmir’s health when he got a cramp after 5 1/3 innings and only allowing one run, but he now appears to be fine and ready to play.

The A’s are masterful at home.  They have a 20-6 record at home this season and will be playing at home until the All-Star break.

Buehrle will also be looking to continue his success. Buehrle is 10-5 with a 2.500 ERA this season. However, he is in a bit of a rut, not having won a game in over a month. It was June 1 the last time he won and is 0-4 since then. It is not his fault, however, as he has been pitching well.

In his last start he gave up just two runs in eight innings against the Chicago White Sox. One of those runs was a homer, though, and it did not sit well with Buehrle. Buehrle has also allowed a homer in his last five outings, coinciding with his losing streak. He will be out to prove something today.

The Oakland A’s are the favorites to win with a -144 moneyline.