Alfredo Simon (4-1, 3.44 ERA) and Kyle Gibson (3-2, 2.97 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (19-13) and the Minnesota Twins (18-14) at Comerica Park. Action begins at 7:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 12 and can be seen on FSN-N and FSN-DET.
Simon is 1-0 with a 0.66 ERA in his appearances against the Twins, but goes up against a good Minnesota offense which is batting .261 this season. Anthony Gose (.325, 13 Rs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 Sunday with one run. Gibson is 2-4 with a 7.04 ERA against the Tigers in his career. He takes on a quality Detroit offense that’s batting .272. Trevor Plouffe (.269, 15 Rs, 5 HRs, 17 RBIs) went 1 for 4 Sunday with one run.
Detroit is a -150 favorite against Minnesota and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Tigers have recorded an overall money line of +428 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 13-8. Detroit has had an impressive season against division opponents, earning 12-5 and 16-9 records as the favorite and SU respectively. The Tigers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 3.1 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.3 runs per game. The Tigers are one of the best in the AL in terms of hits with an impressive 9.2 per game. Detroit is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 29 bases.
In games where it is the underdog, Minnesota has a 14-12 record and an overall money line of +785. They are 11-10 as the underdog against AL Central foes, and 13-12 SU. Offensively, the Twins have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.7 runs per game by averaging 6.5 during that stretch.
The Tigers have controlled the season series, 5-1. The Tigers have a 13-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Gibson takes the mound. Simon (RHP) will be on the hill against the Twins, who have an 8-9 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Detroit is 9-4, while Minnesota is 3-5.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Tigers are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Twins have a 5-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 1-9. The Twins have a 3-13 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 21st in home runs, Minnesota has hit 24 this season. Detroit ranks 19th with 25 home runs.
Detroit and Minnesota both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Detroit sits at second with 9.16 hits per game and Minnesota ranks fifth with 8.91.
Ranking 19th, Minnesota is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.698). Detroit ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .750.
When the Twins allow at least one home run, they are 9-11, well-matched with the Tigers who are 6-8 when allowing at least one homer.
