Mike Pelfrey (3-0, 2.62 ERA) takes the hill for the Minnesota Twins (19-15) as they square off against Anibal Sanchez (2-4, 5.44 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers (20-14) in the last of a three-game series at Comerica Park. The Twins won the last game 6-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 1:08 p.m. ET on Thursday, May. 14 and can be seen on FSN-N, FSN-DET and MLB Net.
Sanchez is 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA in his appearances against the Twins, but goes up against a good Minnesota offense which is batting .261 this season. Miguel Cabrera (.317, 17 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run. Pelfrey is 3-3 with a 3.98 ERA when pitching against the Tigers. He takes on a quality Detroit offense which is hitting .270 this season. Brian Dozier (.256, 25 Rs, 4 HRs, 16 RBIs, 3 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 3 for 5 yesterday.
Detroit is a -166 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 +396 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 14-9. Detroit has had an impressive season against division opponents, earning 13-6 and 17-10 records as the favorite and SU respectively. The Tigers have seen an uptick in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 4.7 runs per game. They average 4.2 runs per game on the season. The Tigers are one of the best in the AL in terms of hits with an impressive 9.1 per game. Detroit is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 29 bases. As for the pitchers, the Tigers are the second-best team in the AL at limiting walks to their opponents, allowing only 2.5 walks per game so far this season.
In games where it is the underdog, Minnesota has a 15-13 record and an overall money line of +807. They are 12-11 as the underdog against teams in their division, and 14-13 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 6.6 during that stretch.
The Tigers have controlled the season series, 6-2. The Tigers have a 14-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Pelfrey takes the mound. Sanchez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Twins, who have an 8-10 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit’s last 6 games when playing Minnesota.
Detroit is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit’s last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota.
The Tigers sit at 17-10 against their divisional rivals, while the Twins are 14-13.
When the Twins play into extra innings, they have a 2-1 record. The Tigers are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Twins managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Tigers who are heading in with a 9-5 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 17-2. The Twins have a 15-0 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 16th in runs, Detroit has earned 142 this season. Minnesota ranks ninth with 158 runs.
Ranking 21st, Minnesota is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 89 this season. Detroit ranks in the top five at fourth with 119.
When the Tigers hit at least one home run, they are 13-5. When the Twins hit at least one homer, they have a 14-4 record.
