In the second of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (20-13) and the Minnesota Twins (20-13) at Comerica Park, Kyle Lobstein (3-2, 3.00 ERA) and Ricky Nolasco (2-1, 9.00 ERA) get the ball. The Tigers won the last game 2-1 and Detroit leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 7:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 13 and will air on FSN-N and FSN-DET.
Lobstein is 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA against the Twins in his career, and is up against a strong Minnesota offense that’s hitting .259 on the year. Anthony Gose (.333, 14 Rs, 1 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Tigers, Nolasco is 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA. He meets a solid Detroit offense that’s batting .271.
Detroit is a -146 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is nine runs. The Tigers have a winning record of 13-8 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of +428. They have performed well against their division to earn an SU record of 16-9 and a 12-5 record when they were the favorite. Detroit has been struggling as of late. In the last 10 games, Detroit has only averaged 3.1 runs per game compared to the 4.3 they’ve averaged on the season. The Tigers are a stellar hitting team with 9.2 hits per game, one of the highest marks in the AL. The Tigers are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 29 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball.
Across the field, the Twins have a record of 14-12 when they are the underdog and are +785 overall with the money line. Against divisional rivals, they are 13-12 SU and 11-10 as the underdog. During the last 10 games, they averaged 6.5 runs per game, above their 4.7 season average.
The Tigers had the upper hand against the Twins in their previous seven games this season, earning a 6-1 record. The Tigers will take on a right-hander (Nolasco) in this game and have a 13-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Lobstein will take the mound against the Twins. Against lefty starters this season, they’ve racked up an impressive 10-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
The Twins lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Tigers are 7-5. The Twins are 5-5 in close games this season.
When the Twins play into extra innings, they have a 2-1 record. The Tigers are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Twins are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Tigers have a 12-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 17-2. The Twins have a 14-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 14th, Detroit is in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 140 this season. Minnesota ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 152.
Ranking 20th, Minnesota is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 86 this season. Detroit ranks in the top five at fourth with 115.
When the Tigers hit at least one home run, they are 13-5. When the Twins hit at least one homer, they have a 13-4 record.
