Cleveland Indians vs Minnesota Twins Prediction, 8/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Cleveland Indians vs Minnesota Twins

Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Bally Sports North

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (+110) Minnesota (-135)

Target Field is the site where Lewis Thorpe and the Minnesota Twins (53-66, 4th in AL Central) will play the Cleveland Indians (57-60, 2nd in AL Central) on Wednesday. The Twins open this matchup at -135 while the Indians are coming in at +110. The O/U has been set at 9. The expected starting pitchers will be Zach Plesac and Lewis Thorpe.

The Indians have earned 175 two-baggers as a team and have hit 144 baseballs out of the park. Cleveland has a slugging percentage of .401 and have been called out on strikes 998 times, while drawing a walk on 329 occasions. As a squad, the Cleveland Indians are knocking in 4.4 runs per game, which has them sitting at 18th in the league. They have 486 runs batted in and 897 base knocks for the season, while their team batting average is .233. They have tallied 509 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .300.

Get all of our MLB Expert Picks

The Indians have compiled a team ERA of 4.53 for the season (20th in the league), and their staff has rung up 1,052 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 401 opposing players and their FIP is 4.43 as a squad over the course of the season. They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.62 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.30. Indians pitchers have relinquished 156 home runs and 544 total runs (15th in baseball).

Indians pitchers have gone to the mound with players on base 104 times in addition to having 127 appearances in high leverage situations. The relief pitchers have recorded 50 holds this season (22nd in the league). The Indians relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 65.2% and has come into the game in 98 save situations. They have accumulated 30 saves this year and have blown 16 of 46 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 153 runners so far this year and 36.6% of those players earned a run for their team. The Indians have dispatched 390 relief pitchers to the mound so far this year.

The Cleveland Indians have 3,051 putouts over the course of the season, as well as 1,008 assists and 63 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .985 which ranks 16th in baseball, and have a total of 819 double plays. The Indians have transformed 69.8% of balls hit into play into outs in their 9,153 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting at 14th in baseball.

Plesac has pitched in 268 innings and is sitting with 212 punch outs so far in his MLB career. Plesac (19-12 mark in his career) has a FIP of 4.60 and he has gone up against 1,080 opposing hitters in the majors. His ERA is 3.79 (113 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.097. He has allowed 229 base hits (7.7 hits per nine innings) with 65 walks.

The Twins have a SLG% of .429 and they average 4.63 runs per game (12th in baseball). They have recorded 200 doubles, while walking 404 times and scoring 551 runs. Minnesota is sitting with 170 home runs this year and 516 RBIs. They have struck out on 1,022 instances (18th in MLB) and have earned a total of 980 base knocks. The Minnesota Twins hold a team OBP of .319 as well as a team batting average of .245 on the season.

The Twins hold a team WHIP of 1.327 in addition to having a FIP of 4.63 as a squad this season. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.79 (977 strikeouts against 350 free passes). They rank 26th in MLB as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,033. They have surrendered 177 homers and they surrender 5.39 runs per 9 innings (28th in the league). The Minnesota pitching staff have surrendered 624 runs on the year while having a team ERA of 4.87 (564 earned runs allowed).

Minnesota has had relief pitchers enter the game in 46 save opportunities and they have earned 29 saves. They sit at 11th in the league holding a save rate of 63.0%, and they have dispatched 380 relief pitchers to the hill for the season. Their relievers have come in 131 times in high leverage situations in addition to 95 occasions with runners on. Minnesota relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 47.6% of 124 inherited base runners. With 107 save situations, the Twins have compiled 61 holds and also 17 blown saves.

In their 9,378 innings played, the Twins have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.8% (23rd in pro baseball). The Minnesota Twins have twisted 108 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .981 (30th in baseball). The Twins have accrued 1,059 assists, 83 errors and have earned a total of 3,126 putouts on the season.

In his pro baseball career, Thorpe has allowed 75 base hits while he has earned 46 strikeouts in 58 innings. Thorpe (3-5 mark in his career) has earned a 5.59 earned run average while giving up 11.6 hits per nine innings. He has allowed 36 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.707 and a FIP of 4.7. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.92 and he has gone up against 259 batters so far in his MLB career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Cleveland (+110)

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