Boston and Minnesota take each other on Wednesday night at Target Field. The Red Sox come in with some good momentum after at least pulling out a split against another great team, Seattle. They’ve also won five of their last six meetings against the Twins.
Devers racks up six hits in thrilling series against Mariners
Boston routed Seattle in the series finale on Sunday, putting up five runs in the third inning alone which nearly cemented the result in itself. It seems like the Mariners always have a chance to come back at home, but the Red Sox insurance runs ended any hope. Third baseman Rafael Devers (.239 avg) launched his 11th homer of the season in that game and finished with three RBIs. His lengthy hitting streak ended Saturday, but he still had six total hits in the series.
Probable starter: Left-hander David Price (8-4, 3.76 ERA)
Price has seen nothing but victories in the past few months. He hasn’t taken a loss since May 3rd and has gone 6-0 over his last seven starts. He’s only given up over two runs once in that stretch, and he was exceptional against Seattle, giving up a run over seven innings.
Twins continue mediocre stretch, but pitching has been consistent
It’s been all or nothing for Minnesota lately, with their mixed results giving them a 5-5 stretch in their last 10 games. If they win, they score six or more runs. If they lose, they’ve scored just two or less runs. They’re essentially going the way their offense goes with pitching being very consistent across the board. They’ve posted a 3.21 ERA in that stretch. The Twins came just short in getting an important sweep against the Indians, falling on Sunday 4-1.
Probable starter: Right-hander Lance Lynn (4-5, 4.98 ERA)
Lynn suffered a loss against Detroit on Thursday. He gave up three earned runs on five hits through 6.2 innings of work. His pitching ratio was exceptional, racking up nine strikeouts to one walk, but the Twins ultimately lost 3-1. It was Lynn’s first loss since May 16th.
Trends
Red Sox are:
- 49-23 in their last 72 overall
- 7-0 in Price’s last 7 starts
Twins are:
- 2-5 in their last 7 during game 2 of a series
- 1-4 in Lynn’s last 5 home starts against teams with a winning record
We’re essentially at the point where if Price is making a start, it’s becoming an automatic victory for Boston. Lynn does have a 2.41 ERA over his last three starts, but it’s simply too difficult to rely on an inconsistent Minnesota team.
Pick: Boston
Perhaps the best option on the board is grabbing the under for the total. Boston has seen that more often than not with their incredible pitching overall (2.72 ERA over the last five games).
- Under is 10-3 in Red Sox last 13 overall
- Under is 4-1 in Lynn’s last 5 overall