Friday, July 8, 2016

Globe Life Park

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Kyle Gibson vs. Cole Hamels

The Minnesota Twins head to Globe Life Park on Friday to take on the Texas Rangers. The probable pitchers are Kyle Gibson for the Twins and Cole Hamels for the Rangers. The opening line for this game has Minnesota at +199 and Texas at -215. The over/under is 9.5. The Twins have a 51-29-4 over/under mark and a 40-44-0 run line record, meaning they cover 48% of the time. The Rangers are 53-33-0 against the run line and have a 45-37-4 over/under record. They cover the spread 62% of the time.

The Twins head into this game with a 29-55 record, and they are 10-28 on the road. Starting pitcher Kyle Gibson has a 2-5 record with an ERA of 4.82 and a WHIP of 1.43. He has 35 strikeouts during his 52.1 innings pitched and he has given up 55 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 9.5 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.59. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 4.46 and they have allowed 307 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .272 against the pen while they've been struck out 279 times and walked 91 times this year. As a unit, Minnesota has given up 10.13 base hits per nine innings while striking out 7.56 hitters per nine. They are 28th in the Majors in team earned run average at 5.00. The Twins pitchers have collectively given up 837 base hits and 413 earned runs. They have allowed 117 home runs this season and they allow 1.4 homers per nine innings as a staff. Minnesota as a pitching staff has walked 224 batters and struck out 624. They walk 2.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.6 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.43 and their FIP as a unit is 4.51.

As a team, Minnesota is hitting .248, good for 21st in the league while putting together a .232 average on the road. The Twins have a .408 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .314 which is good for 21st in the league. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.48 hits per contest. Joe Mauer comes into this game hitting .268 and his on-base percentage is at .370. He has 79 hits this season along with 38 runs scored and 27 runs batted in. He's struck out 59 times and has walked 48 times. Eduardo Nunez is hitting .316 and he has an on-base percentage of .340. He has totaled 95 hits so far while scoring 43 runs and he's driven in 36. He has walked 10 times and has struck out 41 times. The Twins have 712 hits, including 140 doubles and 95 home runs. They've stolen 56 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 16 times. Minnesota has walked 260 times this season and they've struck out 719 times as a unit. They've left 581 men on base and have a team OPS of .722. They score 4.25 runs per contest and have scored a total of 357 runs so far this year.

Texas comes into this game with a 28-12 home mark and a 53-33 overall record. With an ERA of 2.93, Cole Hamels has a 9-2 record and a 1.28 WHIP. He has 105 strikeouts over the 107.2 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 97 hits. He has allowed 8.1 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.4. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 4.96 and they have given up 297 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .273 against the Rangers bullpen while being struck out 216 times and walking 101 times this season. As a team, Texas has allowed 9.04 hits per nine innings while striking out 6.58 batters per nine. They are 14th in the league in team earned run average at 4.22. The Rangers pitchers as a team have surrendered 773 base knocks and 361 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 108 home runs this year and they give up 1.3 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Texas as a staff has walked 285 hitters and struck out 563. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 6.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.37 while their FIP as a staff is 4.77.

As a team, they are batting .267, good for 9th in the league while putting together a .283 average at home. The Rangers hold a .432 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .323 which is good for 17th in baseball. They rank 10th in baseball with 9.14 hits per contest. Ian Desmond comes into this matchup batting .320 and he has an OBP of .372. He has 108 hits this year along with 63 runs scored and 54 RBI. He's struck out 89 times and has walked on 26 occasions. Nomar Mazara is hitting .287 and he has an OBP of .334. He has collected 84 hits so far while he's scored 35 runs and drove in 36. He has earned a walk 21 times and has punched out 52 times. The Rangers as a unit have 786 base hits, including 136 doubles and 109 homers. They have 52 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 19 times. Texas as a team has walked 224 times this year and they have struck out 634 times. They've had 539 men left on base and have an OPS of .755. They score 4.94 runs per game and have totaled 425 runs so far this season.

Minnesota Twins Betting Trends

The Minnesota Twins are 51-29-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Minnesota Twins are 40-44-0 against the run line so far this season

Texas Rangers Betting Trends

The Texas Rangers are 45-37-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Texas Rangers are 53-33-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Minnesota Twins

07/06/16 SS Eduardo Escobar Hamstring "?" Thursday vs. Texas Rangers
07/04/16 3B Trevor Plouffe Ribs 15-day DL (7/1)
06/10/16 P Phil Hughes Knee 60-day DL (6/10); out for season
04/13/16 P Glen Perkins Shoulder 60-day DL (4/11); out for season

Texas Rangers

07/07/16 C Bryan Holaday Thumb 15-day DL (7/5)
07/06/16 1B Mitch Moreland Calf "?" Thursday vs. Minnesota Twins
07/06/16 RF Shin-Soo Choo Back "?" Thursday vs. Minnesota Twins
06/26/16 P Colby Lewis Back 60-day DL (6/22)
06/22/16 P Derek Holland Shoulder 15-day DL (6/21)
06/14/16 P Yu Darvish Shoulder 15-day DL (6/9)
05/28/16 P Tanner Scheppers Knee 60-day DL (3/25)
05/24/16 CF Drew Stubbs Toe 60-day DL (5/23)
04/21/16 P Keone Kela Elbow 60-day DL (4/20)
04/04/16 RF Josh Hamilton Knee 60-day DL (3/25)

Guy's Pick: Take the Rangers

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn