The Minnesota Twins (33-29) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (29-33) on Friday, June 7th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on APLTV. Both the Twins and Pirates are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Twins vs Pirates
Minnesota closed out their series vs. the Yankees with an 8-5 loss. The Twins were the +127 underdog on the road. Things started off well for the Twins, as they got on the board with a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Yankees scored two runs in the bottom of the first.
Pablo Lopez had a rough outing, giving up seven earned runs on four hits and issuing six walks. The Twins also wasted a big game from Carlos Correa, who went 2/4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Minnesota is 33-29 overall, and they are looking to snap a three-game losing streak today on the road vs. the Pirates. The Twins are 3rd in the AL Central, 7.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. So far, they have gone 15-11 in divisional games.
As the road team today, the Twins are 17-16 this season, compared to 16-13 at home. Minnesota has been good as the favorite this season, going 25-13, and they are 8-16 as the underdog. The Twins have dropped three straight on the road, and they are 13-3 as the road favorite this season. This year, the Twins’ series record is 11-7-2.
The Twins have been a tough team to bet on this season, as their run line record is just below .500 at 28-34. They have been slightly better on the road, going 17-16 against the run line, but have failed to cover in their last three road games. Overall, they have been outscored by just 0.1 runs per game this season, with an average run differential of -0.2 runs per game at home.
The Twins are on the road in Pittsburgh today, where the over/under line is set at 8 runs. Minnesota’s games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season and their over/under record is 27-33. When the over/under line has been set at 8 runs, their record is 4-9-2. So far this season, 37.1% of their games have had over/under lines set higher than 8 runs.
Joe Ryan Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Joe Ryan gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made 12 starts this year and has a record of 4-4 with a 3.38 ERA. Ryan’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.01. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Ryan has been much better on the road this year, coming in with a record of 2-1 and an ERA of 2.75. At home, his ERA is 4.43.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Carlos Santana has been swinging a hot bat for the Twins of late, going 6/19 in his last six games with two homers and three RBIs. Santana is also 2nd on the team with nine homers but has a batting average of just .222 for the season. Ryan Jeffers has a team-high 36 RBIs and is 9th in the league with 12 homers. However, Jeffers is batting just .239 for the season and has gone 3/18 in his last six games.
As a team, the Twins are averaging 4.4 runs per game and are 8th in the league in home runs. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Overall, the Twins are batting just .229, which is 20th in the MLB.
The Pirates will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Dodgers with an 11-7 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 4th inning before the Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the 5th. Pittsburgh was the +151 underdog at home going into the game.
Bailey Falter had a rough outing, giving up five earned runs on eight hits and issuing two walks. The Pirates also wasted a big game from Oneil Cruz, who homered in the 1st inning, going 2/5.
Pittsburgh will open their series vs. the Twins at home, and they are 5th in the NL Central, one spot behind the Cardinals for 3rd place. Currently, they trail the Brewers by seven games in the division. Overall, the Pirates are 29-33 and have gone 7-7 against other teams in the NL Central.
At home, the Pirates are 14-16 this year, and they have gone 15-17 on the road. So far, they are 9-14 as the favorite and 20-19 as the underdog. As the home underdog, the Pirates have put together an 8-6 mark this year. Their overall series record is 7-9-4 this year.
When betting the Pirates’ run line, it’s been more profitable to take them as the underdog, as they are 27-12 ATS in that role. They are 8-15 ATS as the favorite. They are 35-27 ATS overall, with a run differential of -0.4 runs per game. Their average run differential in wins is +3.0 runs per game, while it’s -3.4 runs per game in losses.
The Pirates have a combined run average of 8.7 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 33-28. Their average over/under line is 8 runs per game, and when the line is set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 9-8. In 41.9% of their games this season, the over/under line has been set at over 8 runs, and in 30.6% of their games, the line has been set at under 8 runs. The over has hit in each of their last two games.
Mitch Keller Gets The Start For The Pirates
Mitch Keller has been pitching well for the Pirates, as he has won his last four starts. Most recently, he faced the Blue Jays on June 1st and picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Looking back at his last four outings, Keller has allowed a total of two earned runs. This season, he has made 12 starts, has a record of 7-3, and an ERA of 3.42. Opposing batters are hitting .245 off the right-hander this year. Keller has one complete game and seven quality starts. His ERA at home is 3.71 compared to 3.65 on the road.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Pirates are averaging just 4.1 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road (4.2 RPG) than at home (4.0 RPG). As a team, the Pirates are batting just .231 and are 18th in home runs. However, they do have three players with at least eight homers, including Bryan Reynolds, who is batting .255 overall and has gone deep a team-high eight times.
Over his last eight games, Nick Gonzales has gone 12/33 (.364) with two homers and eight RBIs. This has helped him move into a tie for the team lead in RBIs. Bryan Reynolds is also on a five-game hitting streak and is the Pirates’ current leader in runs batted in.
Twins vs Pirates Prediction
Our prediction for this Twins vs. Pirates matchup is for the Twins to pick up a 5-4 road win. If you’re looking for a bet, we would recommend taking the Twins on the money line, where the payout is -123.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Mitch Keller is projected to finish with six strikeouts, which is the fourth-best among today’s starters. As for Joe Ryan, he is projected to finish with five K’s, and his matchup is a bit tougher, as he is projected to give up seven hits, which is the most among today’s starters.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 7, 2024 Pirates, Twins