Minnesota Twins (33-30) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (30-33)
June 8, 2024 4:05 pm EDT
The Line: Pittsburgh Pirates -101 / Minnesota Twins -118; Over/Under: +8.5
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In this article we will formulate a Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins prediction for this MLB game on Saturday, June 8th at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the prediction for game two in the series.
Pirates Looking to Stay Hot
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 30-33 this season and they have won three of their last four games. Pittsburgh won game one in this series on Friday night by a score of 3-0. Prior to this series, the Pirates won two out of three against the Dodgers, lost two out of three against the Blue Jays, and split a two game series with the Tigers. Pittsburgh is 5-3 in their last eight games, but they are last in the NL Central, just a half game behind St. Louis.
The Pittsburgh pitching staff has a 3.93 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and a .241 opponent batting average. The Pirates offense has scored 260 runs with a .230 batting average and a .301 on base percentage. Oneil Cruz is batting .247 with nine home runs and 24 RBI’s for the Pirates this season. Pittsburgh is just 19th in the MLB in runs scored this year, but they have scored 20 runs in their last three games.
Twins are Searching for a Win
The Minnesota Twins are 33-30 this year and they have lost four games in a row. Minnesota dropped game one in this series on Friday night and they failed to score a run. Prior to this series, the Twins were swept by the Yankees, won two out of three against the Astros, and won three out of four against the Royals. Minnesota is 5-7 in their last 12 games and they are third in the AL Central behind Cleveland and Kansas City.
The Minnesota pitching staff has a 4.26 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a .241 opponent batting average. The Twins offense has scored 271 runs with a .229 batting average and a .301 on base percentage. Ryan Jeffers is batting .234 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI’s for the Twins this season. Minnesota is 22nd in team ERA this season and they have allowed at least five runs in eight of their last twelve games.
Starting Pitchers
The projected starting pitcher for Pittsburgh is Carmen Mlodzinski, who is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP over 10.2 innings pitched this season. Mlodzinski will only pitch an inning or two and he has allowed zero earned runs over his last four outings. The projected starting pitcher for Minnesota is Simeon Woods Richardson, who is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over 44.1 innings pitched this year. Woods Richardson has allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last four outings, but has not gone more than 5.1 innings in his last five starts.
Why the Minnesota Twins will win
The Twins have won each of their last eight Saturday road games against National League opponents.
The Pirates have lost eight of their last nine day games against American League opponents following a win.
The Twins have covered the run line in each of their last eight day games against NL Central opponents.
The Pirates have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four home games against the Twins following a win.
Total Runs Facts
Each of the Pirates’ last four day games against American League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
Six of the Twins’ last seven day games against National League opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Twins’ last eight road games against National League opponents.
The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Pirates’ last four home games against American League opponents.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins Prediction
Minnesota has been a very streaky team to start this season and they are currently on a four game losing streak. The Twins are trying to get back into the AL Central race, but they have been way too inconsistent. Pittsburgh has been just as inconsistent as Minnesota this year, and they are only 15-16 at home. The Pirates have some momentum after winning game one of this series and taking two out of three from the Dodgers, but I like Minnesota here. Woods Richardson has been very good for the Twins and I think their offense will bounce back. My Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins prediction is for the Twins to get the win.
