Thursday MLB: Minnesota Twins (82-76) at Detroit Tigers (85-73)
The Minnesota Twins are on life support regarding their playoff hopes, and that machine will be turned off for good if they don’t beat the Tigers today in Detroit.
The good news for Twins backers is that they are -122 moneyline betting favorites on WagerWeb.com for the finale of the four-game series in Detroit.
Following a win in Tuesday’s first game of a doubleheader, Minnesota was just a game back of the Tigers.
But Detroit, which has led the Central nearly all season, fought back to win the next two and takes a three-game division lead into tonight’s game. A win clinches the AL Central for Detroit, while a loss still means that Minnesota would have to at least win two of three over the weekend against the Royals and that the Tigers would have to lose two of three to the White Sox to force a one-game playoff. So basically Detroit’s magic number is two.
“We’re trying to look at (today’s) game like we would any other game,” Detroit’s Brandon Inge said. “But it is human nature to realize what we can do. Even if you don’t want to think about it, you do.”
Inge has been in a monster slump but is 6-for-12 in the first three games against Minnesota, and doubled home two runs against Twins starter Carl Pavano on Wednesday.
Today’s pitching matchup certainly seems to favor Minnesota, at least on the surface. Scott Baker (14-9, 4.48 ERA) is on the mound for the Twins. He has lost just twice in the past 15 starts, with an 8-2 record and 3.64 ERA over that span. The bad news is one of those losses came to Detroit, when the Tigers got him for four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings on Sept. 20. Baker is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA against the Tigers this year.
The Tigers’ Magglio Ordonez is 16-for-36 (.444) with three doubles, a triple and two home runs lifetime against Baker, including 4-for-8 this year. He’s also 13-for-29 with three homers and seven RBIs for an eight-game hit streak…
Detroit counters with Nate Robertson (2-2, 5.56 ERA). He’s the guy who beat Minnesota in Baker’s last start, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings. But Robertson was shelled last time out, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings against the White Sox.
MLB Betting at WagerWeb.com
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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