The Minnesota Twins (-5000 to win the Americal League Central) and their big bats will face the Kansas Royals in another series, the second this month, after taking two of three games in a recent series at home against the same team. This is a chance for Minnesota to further pad their lead atop the American League Central division, but will the Royals (+100000) fold easily at home?
Odorizzi has been lights out for the most part of the season. Although he allowed four earned runs in seven innings of a mound duty against the Royals at home on Jun. 15, the Twins still got a 5-4 win. It was the Twins’ 11th-straight win in games started by Odorizzi/ Sparkman was the losing pitcher in that game, allowing five earned runs on five hits in five innings. However, he is 1-2 with a strong 2.40 ERA in eight appearances at home (30.0 innings) this season.
Hitting
Jorge Polanco is 3-for-6 in career vs. Sparkman.
Whit Merrifield is 7-for-13 in career vs. Odorizzi.
Prediction: Twins win, 5-4.
GAME 2
Starters: Martin Perez (7-3, 4.09 ERA) vs. Jakob Junis (4-6, 5.33 ERA)
Pitching:
Perez wasn’t on top of his game the last time he faced the Royals, as he surrendered four earned runs on five hits in 6.2 innings of an 8-6 home loss on Jun. 16. He is 4-1 with a 4.66 ERA in six home starts this season. Junis lasted just 3.2 innings in that game, allowing two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts. The Royals are 2-0 in his last two road starts.
Hitting
Max Kepler is 6-for-15 in career vs. Junis.
Martin Maldonado is 7-for-12 in career vs. Perez.
Prediction: Twins win, 4-2.
GAME 3
Starters: Jose Berrios (8-2, 3.01 ERA) vs. Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.38 ERA)
Pitching:
Berrios is having a good June so far. He has allowed just an earned run in each of his first two starts of the month, spanning 12.2 total innings, to lower his season ERA to 3.01. He is 3-1 with a 3.53 ERA in seven road starts this season. Duffy gave up two earned runs and issued two walks in seven innings of a 3-2 home loss to the Detroit Tigers on Jun. 12. He is 1-2 with a 4.31 in six home starts this year.
Hitting
Marwin Gonzalez is 7-for-16 in career vs. Duffy.
Jorge Bonifacio is 4-for-11 in career vs. Berrios.
Prediction: Twins win, 6-3.
GAME 4
Starters: Michael Pineda (4-3, 5.04 ERA) vs. Homer Bailey (5-6, 5.37 ERA)
Pitching:
Pineda tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball but failed to get a win in a 10-5 home victory over the Mariners on Jun. 13. He is just 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in two starts against the Royals since 2016. Bailey wowed in a 7-3 home win over Detroit on Jun. 13, holding the Tigers scoreless for seven innings while striking out six hitters. He is 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA in eight home starts this year.
Hitting
Nelson Cruz enters the series with a .245 career batting average at Kaufmann Stadium.
