The Boston Red Sox (18-16) travel to face off against the Minnesota Twins (19-13) on Sunday, May 5th. This game will be played at Target Field in Minneapolis and televised on NESN. The Twins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Red Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Twins. First pitch is set for 2:10 ET.
Red Sox vs Twins
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Twins vs Red Sox series. Minnesota went into the matchup as -178 favorites and squeaked out a 3-1 win. Both teams scored one run in the first inning, and the Red Sox could only muster one more run in the 4th inning. As for the Twins, they scored the game’s go-ahead run in the 6th, and both offenses went silent after that.
Pablo Lopez pitched well for the Twins in this one, going six innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but issued a season-high five walks. As for the Red Sox, Brennan Bernardino only went one inning but didn’t give up a run or a hit.
Max Kepler provided the game’s biggest hit, as he homered in the 1st inning. Willi Castro also had a two-hit game and drove in a run for Minnesota’s offense.
Boston is on the road today vs. the Twins, and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, all of which have come in the AL East. Currently, they are 4.5 games behind the Orioles in the AL East and are 18-16 overall. The Red Sox have won two straight series and have an overall series record of 6-3-1 this year.
The Red Sox are 9-5 as the favorite this year and 9-11 as the underdog. On the road, they are 11-7 as the have gone just 7-9 at home. Boston’s losing streak as the underdog is two games, and they have dropped three straight on the road.
The Red Sox are 18-16 against the run line this season, and they have been a much better bet on the road, where they are 12-6. They have covered the run line in three straight games, but they are just 5-9 against the run line as the favorite this season. They have an average run differential of +1.0 runs per game this season, and their average run differential is +2.1 on the road.
Despite the over/under line being set at 8 runs, the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins have been trending towards the under recently. The Red Sox have hit the under in five straight games, and their combined run average for the season is exactly 8.0 runs per game. Their over/under record for the season is 13-18, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 1-3-2.
Cooper Criswell Gets The Start For The Red Sox
Cooper Criswell and the Red Sox are on the road to take on the Twins. Criswell has been solid in his first two starts of the season, picking up wins in both outings. He has gone 5 innings in each start and has 7 strikeouts to just 1 walk. He gave up 2 runs in his first start, but they were unearned.
Red Sox Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Red Sox are batting a collective .245, which is 8th in the league and have the 7th best isolated power figure in the league. One of the things that has really hurt the Red Sox offense is their league-worst strikeout numbers. However, they have done a good job of putting the ball in play when they do make contact, as they have the league’s 4th best BABIP figure.
Tyler O’Neill has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his nine homers are 2nd in the league. He is also batting .292. Ceddanne Rafaela comes into the game with a team-high 17 RBIs but is batting just .198. Rafael Devers has gone 7/19 in his last six games and is batting .368 in this stretch.
Minnesota is hosting the Red Sox today, and they come in having won 12 straight games. The Twins are 19-13 overall and are 1.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. Their 12-7 record against other teams in the AL Central is the best in the division.
As the favorite, the Twins have gone 17-5 this year and just 2-8 as the underdog. Minnesota’s overall series record is 4-4-2, and they have won three straight series overall and two straight on the road.
Minnesota has been a solid bet against the run line this season, going 17-15 overall. They have been particularly good on the road, going 11-7 against the run line. As the favorite, they are 13-9 against the run line.
The Twins have played 31 games this season, with 14 of those games having over/under lines set above 8 runs. Their games have averaged 8.8 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 15-16. Their over/under record when the line is set at 8 runs is 3-3-1, and their games have gone under the total in two straight contests.
Joe Ryan Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Joe Ryan gets the start for the Twins today and has made six starts this year. He has a record of 1-1 and an ERA of 3.38. Opposing batters are hitting .230 this season off Ryan, and he has turned in four quality starts. In his last outing, Ryan finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up three earned runs in three straight outings. Ryan has been much better at home, with an ERA of 4.69 compared to 2.06 on the road.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense has been one of the league’s best so far this season, averaging 4.7 runs per game (11th) and are 10th in the league in home runs. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.4 runs per game. The Twins have a team batting average of .239 and are near the top of the league in isolated power.
Willi Castro has been on a tear of late, going 14/31 in his last seven games, and is currently on a 10-game hitting streak. For the season, he is batting .287. Ryan Jeffers comes into the game with a six-game hitting streak and is batting .296 for the season. Jeffers is also 9th in the league with 21 RBIs.
Red Sox vs Twins Prediction
Our prediction for the Twins vs. Red Sox matchup is that the Twins will pick up a 6-5 win. However, with the Twins at -176 on the money line, we actually recommend taking the over, as we have the game going over eight runs and you can get this at -105.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Joe Ryan finishing with six strikeouts, which is the fifth-best among starters today. As for Cooper Criswell, he is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the fourth best.
Offensively, the Twins are projected to finish with nine total hits, and they have a total of six home runs, which is the sixth most in the league today.
As for the Red Sox, they are projected to finish with just eight hits, and their team strikeout total is nine, which is the 19th most.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 5, 2024 Red Sox, Twins