The Los Angeles Angels defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 in the series opener on May 7. The win ended a recent skid for the Los Angeles Angels, who had lost eight of their previous nine games entering the contest. Angels (+105) cashed as home underdogs in the matchup.
The game saw scoring early, with each team plating two runs in the first inning at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Taylor Ward hit a two-run home run for Los Angeles in the opening frame. After six scoreless innings, Toronto took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning on a solo home run by Anthony Santander.
The Angels responded with a large rally in the bottom of the eighth, scoring six runs to secure the victory. Catcher Logan O'Hoppe went 3-for-4 in the game, contributing an RBI. Yoan Moncada added a three-run shot during the eighth inning outburst. Jo Adell also hit a solo homer earlier in the game.
Despite the win, the Angels hold a 14-20 record on the season, placing them in last place in the AL West division. The team's offense has struggled recently, ranking last in MLB with a 58 wRC+ over the prior three weeks. They had scored only 50 runs in their last 18 games before the May 7 victory. Star outfielder Mike Trout is currently sidelined with an injury.
The Toronto Blue Jays dropped to 16-19 after the loss. They have lost three consecutive games and six of their past nine contests overall. Their road performance has also been challenging, with a 1-6 record in their past seven road games. George Springer hit a two-run homer for Toronto in the first inning.
The teams are scheduled to play the second game of the three-game series Thursday at 9:38 p.m. ET. The game will be played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California.
For the May 8 matchup, the Blue Jays are listed as -124 moneyline favorites, while the Angels (+104) are the underdog. The run-line favors Toronto at -1.5. The over/under for the game is set at 8.5 runs. One prediction model suggests the Angels have a 48% chance of winning the game.
Toronto's RBI leader is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with 18 runs batted in. Nolan Schanuel is batting .237 with two home runs for Los Angeles this season.
