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The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription.
At one point this season, it seemed like it could be a rebuilding year in Cleveland. Now, the Guardians have won eight out of their last 10 games and are one game ahead of the Twins for first place in the AL Central. It’s been an all-around effort as Jose Ramirez, Amed Rosario, and Josh Naylor have all played a big role with the bats. On the mound, Zach Pleasac had some struggles as he is 2-4 with a 4.41 ERA.
With the Guardians recent hot streak, this is an extremely important game for the Twins. They’re on a three-game losing streak and could really use a win. As he’s been great all year, Luis Arraez just continues to swing the bat well. In his last seven games, Arraez is hitting .444 with one home run and five runs batted in through their last seven games. On the mound, Devin Smeltzer has been decent on the season, however, he is coming off his worst outing of the season. In 4.1 innings against the Diamondbacks, Smeltzer gave up six earned runs on nine hits and two walks.
Guardians vs. Twins
Pitchers: Zach Plesac vs. Devin Smeltzer
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET
Guardians local broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Twins local broadcast: Bally Sports North
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Twins -1.5
Run total: 10
Moneyline odds: Twins -135, Guardians +115
Moneyline pick: Twins -135
With the way the standings are, the Twins need to win this game. They are the better team, but they haven't played that way as of late. I fully expect Minnesota to come out and win handily in the final game of the series. Being swept by the Guardians would be the worst outcome for the Twins.
Player prop pick: Luis Arraez over 1.5 total bases (-120)
Arraez currently has the best average in the MLB. Since the beginning of the season and has played a major role for the Twins. In his career against Plesac, he’s 3-8 and I expect him to stay hot today.
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