The Blue Jays took a 4-2 victory over the Athletics in a regular-season MLB fixture in Oakland on Tuesday. The result closes a tight three-game set between the sides, with the visitors finishing the series on top.
It was a different story from Friday's encounter, when the Athletics came from behind to win 6-5 in the same venue. The Blue Jays had looked comfortable that night before the hosts found a way back, but on this occasion they could not find the same rhythm. To be fair, the visiting side started sharper and stuck to their gameplan.
The Athletics had been building momentum over the past week. They won four of their last five games, including that dramatic comeback victory over the Jays on Friday. A 0-2 loss to the Mariners on Wednesday stood out as an anomaly in an otherwise busy run. By then they had already shown they could score runs in bunches, with six-run and seven-run performances against Seattle.
The Blue Jays came into this game with mixed form. They lost their previous meeting 5-6 but had won three of the five games before that, including a 9-2 demolition of the Royals on September 5th. They were not running hot, but they were not struggling either. The difference tonight was in the finishing.
Our prediction backed the away side at 72 per cent confidence, and the outcome vindicated that view. The Athletics had momentum but the Blue Jays made the key plays when it mattered. It is not always about who has the better run — sometimes it is about who executes the basics.
The result means the Blue Jays take the three-game set, though neither side will be making any grand claims. Baseball is a game of small margins, and one night does not define a season. The Athletics will want to bounce back at home; the Jays will be content to move on.