The Minnesota Twins (33-30) travel to face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates (30-33) on Saturday, June 8th. This game will be played at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and televised on BSN. The Pirates are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Twins are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pirates. First pitch is set for 3:05 CT.
Twins vs Pirates
Pittsburgh picked up a 3-0 win over the Twins in the most recent game of this series. The Pirates had a two-run 1st inning and added their final run in the 8th. As for the Twins, they had their best scoring chance in the 4th, but Mitch Keller escaped the jam and finished with six scoreless innings.
Keller picked up the win for the Pirates in this one, going six innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with eight strikeouts but issued two walks. As for the Twins, Joe Ryan got the start and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in seven innings of work.
Carlos Correa, Trevor Larnach, and Byron Buxton each had two hits for the Twins. Correa was the only player in the game to homer. Pittsburgh’s top hitter was Connor Joe, who went 1/4 with a home run.
Minnesota is on the road today vs. the Pirates, and they are looking to snap a four-game losing streak, which is the longest active losing streak in the AL Central. So far this season, they are 33-30, putting them 7.5 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead. Minnesota lost the series opener vs. the Pirates and are 4-6 over their last 10 games.
As the road favorite, the Twins have gone 13-4 this year, and they are an even 17-17 overall on the road. For the season, they are 16-13 at home. Minnesota’s overall record is 15-11 against other teams in the AL Central.
Minnesota has been a tough team to bet on this season, as they have a negative run differential and are just 28-35 against the run line. They have been a better bet on the road, going 17-17 against the run line, compared to just 11-18 at home. They have also been a better bet as the underdog, going 11-13 against the run line in those games.
The Minnesota Twins are on the road today against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs, which is higher than their combined run average of 8.7 runs per game this season. The Twins have hit the over in 27 of their 61 games this season, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs. When the line has been set at 9 runs, the Twins have hit the over in all four games.
Simeon Woods Richardson Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson is getting the start for the Twins today as he faces the Pirates on the road. He has made nine starts this year and has a record of 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .226 off Woods Richardson this year. In his 9 appearances, he has turned in two quality starts and is averaging 7.31 strikeouts per nine innings. Woods Richardson’s last outing came against the Astros, where he gave up three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in that outing.
Twins Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Twins are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. However, they have been better on the road, averaging 4.7 runs per contest. As a team, the Twins are batting just .229, but they are 7th in the league in home runs and have the 4th best isolated power figure in the league.
Ryan Jeffers is the Twins’ top power threat this season, as his 12 homers are the best on the team and 9th in the league. However, he is batting just .234 for the season and has gone just 3/29 in his last nine games. Carlos Santana has also hit two homers in his last nine games, and his batting average is up to .217 for the season.
Pittsburgh is 5th in the NL Central, trailing the Cardinals by a half-game for the 2nd Wild Card spot and trail the Brewers by seven games in the division. The Pirates are 30-33 overall and are 7-7 against other teams in the NL Central.
At home, the Pirates are 15-16 this season while going 15-17 on the road. So far, they have been the underdog in most of their games, where they are 21-19 compared to 9-14 as the favorite. Pittsburgh’s overall series record is 7-9-4, and they are currently up 1-0 in the series vs. the Twins.
Despite being a below-.500 team, the Pirates have been a good bet to cover the run line this season, going 36-27. They have been particularly strong on the road, going 20-12 against the run line. They have also been a good bet as an underdog, going 28-12 against the run line.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today, taking on the Minnesota Twins. The over/under line for the game is set at 9 runs, which is higher than their combined run average of 8.6 runs per game this season. The Pirates have gone over the total in 33 of their 62 games this season, and their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs.
Carmen Mlodzinski Gets The Start For The Pirates
Pittsburgh is sending Carmen Mlodzinski to the mound today vs. the Twins, and he will be looking to give the team some length. Mlodzinski has made eight appearances this year and has a record of 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. Out of his eight appearances, he has not made a start and has a WHIP of 1.78. The right-hander’s ERA at home is 8.1 compared to 3.6 on the road. Mlodzinski’s last outing came on June 6th, where he went one inning out of the bullpen, giving up one hit and one earned run. He finished with a no-decision in that outing.
Pirates Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, Bryan Reynolds is leading the Pirates in RBIs, and he is also on a six-game hitting streak. Reynolds has eight homers this season, which is 2nd on the team and 13th in the league. Oneil Cruz is right behind him with nine homers and is 3rd on the team with 24 RBIs. Cruz has also gone deep twice in his last five games, batting .250 over that stretch.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. So far, they have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.2 runs per game. Overall, they are 13th in home runs but are near the bottom of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
Twins vs Pirates Prediction
The Pirates are our predicted winner in this one, and we would recommend taking them on the money line, where they are currently sitting at -101. Offensively, we have the Pirates finishing with six runs, which is a little higher than their opponent, who we have getting five.
Looking at some potential props, a couple of home run props, the Twins are projected to hit more home runs than the Pirates, and you could also look at the Pirates to finish with more strikeouts. As for the Twins starter, Simeon Woods Richardson, he is predicted to finish with five strikeouts.
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:June 8, 2024 Pirates, Twins