Trevor May (0-1, 8.44 ERA) and Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 2.84 ERA) start in the last of a three-game series between the Minnesota Twins (4-7) and the Cleveland Indians (4-6) at Target Field. The Indians won the last game 4-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Apr. 19 and can be seen on STO and FSN-N.
May is 1-1 with an 8.38 ERA in his appearances against the Indians, but goes up against a below-average Cleveland offense which is batting just .223 this season. Joe Mauer (.282, 1 R, 4 RBIs) kept up his hot start yesterday, going 2 for 4. Carrasco is 1-3 with a 3.40 ERA when pitching against the Twins. He is up against a below-average Minnesota offense which is hitting just .214 this season. Jose Ramirez (.226, 3 Rs, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 SBs) has been successful at the plate to the start the season, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Minnesota is a -124 favorite against Cleveland and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at nine runs. Within its division, Minnesota has a record of 4-6 SU.
In games where it is the underdog, Cleveland has a 1-2 record and an overall money line of -438. AL Central rivals have had an easy time with the Indians when they’re ranked as the underdog. They have a 0-1 record as favorite and 1-5 SU. Offensively, the Indians have really picked up the pace in division games. They have exceeded their season average of 3.2 runs per game by averaging 3.7 in those contests. Cleveland’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL, with a 3.89 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Indians are the best in the AL on the road with an average of 3.5 hits allowed per away game. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 10.2 strikeouts per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
Minnesota has lost all of its games (0-4) when leading after 7 innings. However, Cleveland has won 50% (2-2) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Twins are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Indians have a 2-0 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Indians are 0-4. The Twins have a 2-7 record when opponents outhit them.
Both falling near the bottom of the league based on total home runs this season, Minnesota ranks 23rd with seven homers and Cleveland is 26th with six.
Ranking 13th, Minnesota is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.10 per game. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 7.44.
Ranking 30th, Minnesota is at the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.585). Cleveland ranks near the bottom at 27th with an OPS of .610.
When the Indians allow at least one home run, they are 2-5. When the Twins allow one or more homers, they have a 2-6 record.
