Wednesday, June 29, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Ricky Nolasco vs. James Shields

The Minnesota Twins head to U.S. Cellular Field on Wednesday to take on the Chicago White Sox. The probable pitchers are Ricky Nolasco for the Twins and James Shields for the White Sox. The opening line for this game has Minnesota at +104 and Chicago at -114. The over/under is 9.5. The Twins have a 46-25-4 over/under mark and a 33-42-0 run line record, meaning they cover 44% of the time. The White Sox are 37-39-0 against the run line and have a 34-39-3 over/under record. They cover the spread 49% of the time.

The Twins head into this game with a 24-51 record, and they are 9-26 on the road. Starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco has a 3-5 record with an ERA of 4.95 and a WHIP of 1.35. He has 74 strikeouts during his 91 innings pitched and he has given up 105 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 10.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.72. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 4.59 and they have allowed 283 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .274 against the pen while they've been struck out 254 times and walked 85 times this year. As a unit, Minnesota has given up 10.35 base hits per nine innings while striking out 7.56 hitters per nine. They are 29th in the Majors in team earned run average at 5.17. The Twins pitchers have collectively given up 763 base hits and 381 earned runs. They have allowed 106 home runs this season and they allow 1.4 homers per nine innings as a staff. Minnesota as a pitching staff has walked 206 batters and struck out 557. They walk 2.8 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.46 and their FIP as a unit is 4.55.

As a team, Minnesota is hitting .245, good for 21st in the league while putting together a .231 average on the road. The Twins have a .400 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .309 which is good for 23rd in the league. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.39 hits per contest. Joe Mauer comes into this game hitting .270 and his on-base percentage is at .368. He has 73 hits this season along with 32 runs scored and 26 runs batted in. He's struck out 53 times and has walked 42 times. Eduardo Nunez is hitting .312 and he has an on-base percentage of .342. He has totaled 81 hits so far while scoring 35 runs and he's driven in 29. He has walked 10 times and has struck out 37 times. The Twins have 629 hits, including 121 doubles and 83 home runs. They've stolen 50 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 16 times. Minnesota has walked 223 times this season and they've struck out 651 times as a unit. They've left 519 men on base and have a team OPS of .709. They score 4.03 runs per contest and have scored a total of 302 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this game with a 19-18 home mark and a 38-38 overall record. With an ERA of 6.22, James Shields has a 2-9 record and a 1.70 WHIP. He has 65 strikeouts over the 81 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 98 hits. He has allowed 10.9 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 5.31. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.51 and they have given up 213 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .244 against the White Sox bullpen while being struck out 203 times and walking 112 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.94 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.8 batters per nine. They are 13th in the league in team earned run average at 4.03. The White Sox pitchers as a team have surrendered 678 base knocks and 306 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 75 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 267 hitters and struck out 592. They give up a walk 3.5 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.8 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.38 while their FIP as a staff is 4.11.

As a team, they are batting .247, good for 20th in the league while putting together a .246 average at home. The White Sox hold a .398 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .315 which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 18th in baseball with 8.39 hits per contest. Adam Eaton comes into this matchup batting .280 and he has an OBP of .366. He has 83 hits this year along with 39 runs scored and 24 RBI. He's struck out 49 times and has walked on 31 occasions. Melky Cabrera is hitting .297 and he has an OBP of .348. He has collected 82 hits so far while he's scored 35 runs and drove in 39. He has earned a walk 23 times and has punched out 34 times. The White Sox as a unit have 637 base hits, including 122 doubles and 78 homers. They have 29 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 18 times. Chicago as a team has walked 236 times this year and they have struck out 620 times. They've had 528 men left on base and have an OPS of .712. They score 4.16 runs per game and have totaled 316 runs so far this season.

Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 46-25-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Minnesota Twins are 33-42-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 34-39-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 37-39-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Minnesota Twins

06/10/16 P Phil Hughes Knee 60-day DL (6/10)
06/10/16 P Trevor May Back 15-day DL (6/10)
05/31/16 3B Miguel Sano Hamstring 15-day DL (6/1)
05/25/16 RF Darin Mastroianni Oblique 15-day DL (5/22)
04/13/16 P Glen Perkins Shoulder 60-day DL (4/11); out for season

Chicago White Sox

06/21/16 P Zach Putnam Elbow 15-day DL (6/21)
06/10/16 DH Justin Morneau Elbow 15-day DL (6/9)
06/10/16 CF Austin Jackson Knee 15-day DL (6/10)
05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 15-day DL (5/2)
04/27/16 C Kevan Smith Pelvis 15-day DL (4/24)

Tony's Pick: Take the White Sox

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