On the mound: Trevor Bauer (RHP, 0-2, 8.44 ERA) allowed six runs – including two home runs – on eight hits in a loss to Detroit on Friday. Bauer is 1-5 with a 5.32 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 11 career starts against Minnesota. Bauer has surrendered 15 hits and 10 runs through his first 10.2 innings of pitching this season. Bauer has induced grounders on only 15.2% of batted balls against him in his first two starts, which ranks last of 146 league pitchers who have induced at least 25 batted ball events so far. Last season Bauer’s ground-ball rate was up at 52.8% of batted ball events allowed, tying for 24th of 105 pitchers who induced a minimum of 400 BBE.
Cleveland Indians vs. Minnesota Twins MLB betting preview
Time: 8:10 PM
Venue: Target Field
Odds for fans who bet on baseball:
Indians -1½ (+115) 8½ (-115) -141
Twins +1½ (-135) 8½ (-105) +131
At bat: Cleveland batters have not logged plate appearances against the Twins’ starters. Moreover, the Indians will face a left-handed starter for the first time in the series against Minnesota. Cleveland’s batmen are hitting .219 and slugging .303 versus lefties, as opposed to .272 and slugging .468 against righties.
Recent form: The Indians have won 13 of their last 18 road games, including five of their last visits to Target Field, which also include the first two games of this series – the last of which was an 11-4 routing of the Twins last night. The Indians have won only one series this year, against the Rangers.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: Cleveland is 3-8 against the spread in the last 11 contests, but they have covered in eight of their last 12 on the road and in four of their last six encounters with the Twins. The MLB betting total has gone over in four of the Indians’ last six games.
Minnesota
On the mound: Adalberto Mejia (LHP, 0-1, 4.05 ERA) improved greatly in his second career start; he gave up one run on four hits and three walks in five innings in a no-decision against the White Sox on Friday. Mejia has more walks than strikeouts (6 to 4) in three MLB outings.
At bat: Joe Mauer has one home run and six RBIs in 28 plate appearances, and Eddie Rosario one homer and five RBIs in 18 at bats, against Bauer. Meanwhile, Brian Dozier (3-for-26) and Miguel Sano (1-for-17) have fared as well.
Recent form: The Twins have lost four of their last of their five games overall and four of their last five at home. Minnesota is 1-8 in the last nine encounters with the Indians. The Twins lost their previous series, versus the Tigers and the White Sox.
Trends for fans who bet on baseball: Minnesota’s ATS record is identical to their straight-up record stated above, which is to say, not good. The MLB betting total has gone under in nine of the Twins’ last 11 games and under in four of Minnesota’s last six games when playing at home against the Indians.