The Minnesota Twins (25-23) travel to face off against the Washington Nationals (21-26) on Wednesday, May 22nd. This game will be played at Nationals Park in Washington and televised on BSN. The Twins are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Twins. First pitch is set for 1:05 ET.
Twins vs Nationals
Thanks to a two-home run performance from Byron Buxton, the Twins cruised to a 10-0 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. Minnesota had a huge 3rd inning, scoring eight of their ten runs. As for the Nationals, they had their best chance to score in the 6th, but Joe Ryan got out of a bases-loaded jam.
Ryan went seven innings for the Twins, giving up just three hits and striking out six. He picked up a win in the game, while Patrick Corbin took the loss for Washington, giving up eight earned runs in six innings of work.
Both Willi Castro and Jose Miranda each had two RBIs for the Twins’ offense. Carlos Santana also had a two-hit game and scored a run for Minnesota.
Minnesota is 25-23 overall and trail the Guardians by 6.5 games in the AL Central. So far, they are 12-10 against other teams in the division. The Twins are looking to get back on track, as they have gone just 2-8 over their last 10 games. This includes dropping two straight series.
As the road team today, the Twins are 14-12 this season, compared to an even 11-11 at home. So far, they have been really good as the favorite, going 20-11. As the underdog, the Twins are just 5-12 this year. Minnesota’s overall series record is 7-6-2 this year.
The Twins have been a solid run line bet this season, as they have a 24-24 record. They have been even better on the road, going 15-11 against the run line. Their average run margin is just 0.1 runs per game, but they have been able to cover the run line in most of their victories, as their average run margin in winning games is 3.9 runs per game.
Minnesota Twins games have gone over the total in two straight games, but overall, they have played to the under in 64.6% of their games this season. Their games have averaged a combined 9.0 runs per game, but the over/under line for today’s game against the Washington Nationals is set at 8.5 runs. This season, the Twins have a 23-24 over/under record, and when the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, they have a 3-9 record.
Simeon Woods Richardson Gets The Start For The Twins
Right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Nationals on the road. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 1-0 with a 2.97 ERA. Woods Richardson has pitched well this year, as his WHIP is currently 1.15, and opponents are batting .250 off him this year. One of his best outings came on May 6th against the Mariners, where he went six innings and didn’t give up a run. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. The most recent came on May 17th, where he gave up one earned run in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Twins Offense Breakdown
Minnesota’s offense has been one of the better road teams in the league this season, averaging 5.2 runs per game away from home, which is the 2nd best mark in the league. Overall, they are 12th in the league at 4.5 runs per contest. The Twins have been a good home run hitting team this season, coming in 11th in the league in homers, but they are batting just .232 as a team.
Carlos Correa, Willi Castro, and Jose Miranda are all on hitting streaks for the Twins, with Miranda leading the way with a six-game streak. Over his last six games, Miranda is batting .316 with two homers. Ryan Jeffers and Carlos Santana are the Twins’ top power threats, with Jeffers leading the team with 10 homers, and Santana is right behind him with seven. However, Santana is batting just .210 this season.
Washington is 21-26 overall and trails the Phillies by 13 games in the NL East. So far, they are 5-5 in the division and have a chance to pick up a game on the Braves today, as they are six games behind Atlanta for the 2nd spot in the division.
The Nationals have lost three straight series and are 5-9-1 in series play this year. At home, they are 7-10 as the underdog compared to 18-24 overall. Washington has really struggled as of late, going just 2-8 over their last 10 games.
Washington has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 28-19 overall. They have been especially good on the road, going 18-10 against the run line. The Nationals have been a slight underdog in most games, and that has been a good spot to back them, as they are 25-17 against the run line as the underdog.
The Washington Nationals are playing at home against the Minnesota Twins today. The over/under line for the game is set at 8.5 runs, which is slightly higher than their combined run average of 8.4 runs per game. The Nationals have gone over the total in 21 of their 45 games this season, and their over/under record when the line is set at 8.5 runs is 8-9. The over has hit in three straight Nationals games.
Jake Irvin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending right-hander Jake Irvin to the mound today vs. the Twins. He has made nine starts this season and has a record of 2-4 with a 3.91 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Irvin has a WHIP of 1.10 and opponents are batting .235 this season. In his last outing, Irvin took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has allowed at least one homer in three straight starts. One positive note is that Irvin has turned in four quality starts this year.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst in the league so far, as they are just 21st in runs per game (4) and are also near the bottom of the league in home runs, team batting average, and slugging percentage. The Nationals do have three hitters with at least 20 RBIs, with Luis Garcia Jr. leading the team with 23 RBIs while batting .273. CJ Abrams and Jesse Winker have also been solid run producers, with 21 RBIs apiece.
Jacob Young has been swinging a hot bat for the Nationals, going 7/19 over his last five games. This has helped him move his season average up to .263. Joey Meneses and Jesse Winker are tied for the team lead with six homers, but Winker is batting just .229 for the season, and Meneses is hitting just .227.
Twins vs Nationals Prediction
Our prediction for this Twins vs. Nationals matchup is that the Twins will pick up a 5-4 road win. With the Twins being on the road, you can get them on the money line at -135, which is our recommended bet.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Jake Irvin going 6th worst in terms of projected innings and with a predicted ERA of 5th worst. As for Simeon Woods Richardson, we have him going in the middle of the pack in terms of his chance to pick up a win, but his predicted strikeout total is just four.
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 22, 2024 Nationals, Twins