Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins Prediction, 8/18/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins

Date: Friday, August 18, 2023

Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Bally Sports North

The Pittsburgh Pirates (54-67) are headed to Target Field on Friday where they will attempt to beat the Minnesota Twins (63-59). The men taking the mound will be Andre Jackson and Pablo Lopez.

As a unit, the Pittsburgh Pirates are scoring 4.2 runs per game, which has them at 24th in baseball. They have tallied 505 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .313. The Pirates have compiled 204 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 121 balls out of the stadium. They have accounted for 483 RBI's in addition to 940 base knocks this season, while their average at the plate comes in at .235. Pittsburgh has a slugging percentage of .387 and have struck out 1,077 times, while being walked on 425 occasions.

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They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.31 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.40. Pirates pitchers have given up 137 home runs and also 596 runs in total (24th in the league). Pittsburgh has allowed 1,050 hits (8.9 per 9 innings) as well as 546 earned runs. The Pirates have a team earned run average of 4.61 for the year (24th in the league), and they have rung up 1,024 hitters. They have walked 444 hitters and their FIP sits at 4.44 as a team on the year.

The Pirates have sent 389 relievers to the mound this season. The relief pitchers have inherited 182 base runners for the year with 33.0% of those players crossed the plate. They have tallied 32 saves on the year and have blown 15 of 47 chances to save the game. The Pirates relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 68.1% and has entered the game in 110 save situations. The relievers have racked up 60 holds so far this season (18th in the league). Pirates bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with opponents on base 121 times and also have had 124 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Pirates have converted 68.0% of baseballs in play into outs in their 9,600 innings, which has them sitting 26th in professional baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates have accumulated 3,200 putouts so far this season, in addition to 1,004 assists and 73 errors. Their fielding percentage sits at .983 which has them sitting 27th in professional baseball, and have earned 103 double plays.

Jackson (0-1 career win-loss record) has a FIP of 4.15 while he has gone up against 204 hitters in the majors. He has given up 46 base hits (8.7 hits per nine innings) and has had 15 walks. His earned run average is 3.97 (21 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.280. Jackson has taken the hill for 47 innings and has earned 47 strikeouts during his MLB career.

Minnesota has accumulated 167 home runs this season and 516 RBIs. They have put up 201 two-baggers, while taking a walk 414 times as well as scoring 540 runs. The Minnesota Twins have an on-base percentage of .317 and a team batting average of .239 for the season. The Twins hold a slugging percentage of .417 and they are earning 4.43 runs per contest (17th in the league). They have struck out on 1,247 occasions (1st in the league) and have a total of 981 base hits.

The Twins have a WHIP of 1.200 and have a FIP of 3.88 as a unit over the course of the season. They rank 10th in baseball as a staff in total hits relinquished with 976. The Minnesota pitching staff have relinquished 500 runs on the campaign while having an ERA of 3.92 (474 earned runs conceded). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 9.60 (1,164 strikeouts vs 330 walks). They have allowed 144 HR's and they relinquish 4.14 runs per 9 innings (6th in the league).

Sitting with 113 save situations, the Twins have compiled 61 holds and also 23 blown saves. Minnesota has called on relievers to take the mound in 51 save chances and they have come away with 28 saves. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 132 times in high leverage situations in addition to 89 occasions with runners on. Minnesota relievers hold an inherited score rate of 30.0% of 120 inherited runners. They are ranked 26th in the league with a save rate of 54.9%, and they have sent 360 relief pitchers to the mound so far this year.

The Minnesota Twins have gotten 88 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .987 (9th in pro baseball). The Twins have accrued 934 assists, 54 errors and have amassed 3,265 putouts over the course of the season. In 9,795 innings on the diamond, the Twins have a defensive efficiency of 69.5% (12th in pro baseball).

In his MLB career, Lopez has given up 587 base hits while he has tallied 669 K's in 657 innings pitched. He has given up a total of 283 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.165 and a FIP of 3.6. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.74 and he has faced 2,710 hitters thus far in his career. Lopez (36-37 career record) is the owner of a 3.87 earned run average while allowing 8.0 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Minnesota

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