Twins vs. Indians Pick
Are the Minnesota Twins going to clinch the second AL Wild Card spot with a victory at the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night? First pitch is at 7:10PM EST.
The Indians are a -170 favorite to win on the moneyline according to sports book Bovada.lv. The Twins are a +145 underdog and the over-under sits at 9.
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Pitching for Minnesota will be Adalberto Mejia (4-6, 4.48 ERA), while Cleveland will turn to Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.48). Mejia has a 1.55 WHIP with 82 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 4 2/3 innings in a 12-1 win at Detroit his last start. Mejia has a 2.45 ERA in 33 road innings. Salazar has a 1.38 WHIP with 136 strikeouts over 98 1/3 innings. He returned to the starting rotation Septemer 21 after a few bullpen appearances and allowed one earned run on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks over 2 2/3 innings in a 4-1 win at the Angels his last start. Salazar holds a 3.10 ERA in 40 2/3 home innings.
Minnesota comes in with an 83-74 record and is 44-35 on the road, while Cleveland is 98-59 and 45-31 at home. The last 10 meetings between the two teams are split 5-5 and the total has gone under seven times in those games.
The Twins won their fifth straight game Tuesday in the series opener with an 8-6 victory. Brian Dozier went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, three runs and three RBIs. Eddie Rosario was 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs. Eduardo Escobar finished 2-for-5 with a triple. Jason Castro and Robbie Grossman were each 2-for-4. Taylor Rogers earned the win in relief, while Matt Belisle picked up his eighth save. Jose Ramirez was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs for the Indians. Edwin Encarnacion went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Jay Bruce was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bryan Shaw suffered the loss in relief.
With their current winning streak, the Twins have built plenty of a cushion to clinch the second AL Wild Card spot. It’s difficult to envision Mejia getting the best of Cleveland, however. Salazar will likely be on a pitch count, but is fully capable of being dominant for as long as he’s on the mound. Cleveland wants to keep rolling into the postseason and we believe they’ll make Minnesota wait at least one more day to clinch.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: CLEVELAND INDIANS -170