The defending AL East champions have had a rough start to the 2016 season. Toronto is heating up though, winning 4-of-6 games heading into Thursday's series finale versus Texas. They host the LA Dodgers on Friday, and I like Toronto to remain hot.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Marcus Stroman will get the nod for the Jays, and he's coming off a fine performance. Stroman (4-0, 3.77 ERA) gave up one run on three hits, striking out nine in eight innings in a 5-1 win over Tampa in his last outing. The Dodgers will send rookie Kenta Maeda to the mound, and he was roughed up a little in his last start.

2. Home Cookin' - Josh Donaldson leads the Jays with nine home runs and 21 RBIs. He's been better in Toronto than he has been on the road, hitting .322 at Rogers Center. The Jays are 24-9 in their last 33 inter-league home games.

3. X-Factor - The Jays have won 11 of their last 16 inter-league games, and 11 of their last 14 when Stroman starts.

Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Blue Jays (8*)