Fri May 09 02:10:00 UTC 2025: **Blue Jays Turn to Bassitt After Another Late-Inning Collapse**

Toronto, ON – The Toronto Blue Jays are hoping for a change of fortune tonight as they face the Los Angeles Angels in the third game of their series. After suffering a heartbreaking 5-4 loss last night, despite a strong performance from starter Jose Berrios and a 4-2 lead heading into the ninth, the Jays are pinning their hopes on Chris Bassitt.

Bassitt, a reliable presence in the rotation, is predicted to provide a much-needed boost. While he’s had a slight dip in performance recently, allowing 11 runs over his last three starts, his advanced metrics suggest he remains a strong pitcher. His expected ERA is 3.01, and he excels at inducing soft contact, boasting impressive numbers in hard-hit percentage, barrel rate, chase rate, and average exit velocity. His low walk rate and high strikeout rate (25.7%) suggest he’ll be a formidable opponent for the Angels’ struggling offense, which ranks poorly in batting average, OPS, and wRC+, and has a high strikeout rate.

Sports analyst Andrew “Taco” Caley predicts Bassitt will have a strong game, suggesting an under 2.5 earned runs for the pitcher. Caley also includes Bassitt over 5.5 strikeouts and Anthony Santander over 0.5 RBIs in a same-game parlay prediction, citing Santander’s recent hot streak and a favorable matchup against Angels pitcher Jose Soriano.

Despite the optimism surrounding Bassitt, the Blue Jays will need to improve their bullpen performance to secure a victory, having surrendered late-inning leads in recent games. The game promises to be a crucial one for Toronto as they attempt to salvage the series against the Angels.

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