Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Tommy Milone (4-1, 3.02 ERA) and the Minnesota Twins (45-39) go up against Ubaldo Jimenez (7-4, 2.96 ERA) and the Baltimore Orioles (43-41) in the last of a three-game series at Target Field. The Twins won the last game 8-3 and Minnesota leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 1:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jul. 8 and will air on MASN.
Milone is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA against the Orioles in his career, but is up against a solid Baltimore offense that’s hitting .257 on the year. Torii Hunter (.262, 41 Rs, 13 HRs, 46 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Twins, Jimenez is 4-3 with a 3.00 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 17 walks. Manny Machado (.302, 54 Rs, 18 HRs, 47 RBIs, 13 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run.
Minnesota is a +110 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at eight runs. The Twins are 37-32 as the underdog and have an overall money line of +1,346. The Twins are the best in the AL in walks allowed, giving up just 2.5 per game.
Switching to the opposing bench, the Orioles come into this game with a win percentage of .578 when playing as the favorite (26-19) and an overall money line of +146. The Orioles are known for their power, smashing 102 home runs. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Baltimore pitchers. They’ve allowed 2.9 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 3.9.
The previous two games have all gone Minnesota’s way. This game will feature Jimenez (RHP) on the mound against the Twins, who have a 25-28 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The left-handed Milone will take the mound against the Orioles, who have an 11-8 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – BAL, O/U – Over
Notes
The Twins are 4-3 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Orioles are 1-2 in such matchups.
The Orioles managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Twins who are heading in with a 16-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Orioles are 5-28. The Twins have an 8-35 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 19th in home runs, Minnesota has hit 70 this season. Baltimore ranks fifth with 102 home runs.
Minnesota and Baltimore both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Minnesota sits at 10th with 8.33 hits per game and Baltimore ranks seventh with 8.59.
Ranking 21st, Minnesota is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.697). Baltimore ranks in the top 10 at seventh with an OPS of .733.
The Orioles are 23-28 when they allow at least one home run. The Twins perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 25-27 record.
