Twins in Battle For AL Central Crown
The Minnesota Twins go for a second straight victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants when the teams play the second of their three-game weekend series on Saturday night.
Minnesota won the series opener in a rout on Friday to pull within three games of the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. San Francisco has lost two in a row and is 6½ games behind the last Wild-Card spot in the National League. These teams rarely play, so to help you decide on how to bet online on this one, check out our in-depth preview of the contest.
Let’s check the latest MLB news, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Giants vs Twins. We’ve plenty of MLB picks & predictions.
Giants Struggling on the Mound
The San Francisco Giants are having their troubles keeping opponents off the scoreboard all of a sudden, losing to the Detroit Tigers 6-1 on Wednesday and 9-0 to the Minnesota Twins on Friday. Starter Alex Wood had a season-worst start in Friday’s loss, allowing eight runs on six hits over three innings.
Right-hander Alex Cobb will try to turn things around for San Francisco when he makes his 21st start of the season. Cobb is 4-6 with a 3.99 ERA, striking out 108 in 106 innings. Cobb took a no-decision in his last outing, allowing three runs on 10 hits over 6⅔ innings against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 20, striking out three and walking none.
The offense hasn’t exactly been holding up its end of things over the last two games, managing just four hits in Friday’s loss. Designated hitter Tommy La Stella had one of those hits as well as a walk and is batting .255 with 14 doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs, and 16 runs scored in 54 games this season.
Second baseman Thairo Estrada leads the Giants with a .255 batting average but has gone 0-for-12 with five strikeouts over the last three games. Estrada has 18 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 55 runs scored in 2022.
Twins Get Much-Needed Win in Series Opener
The Minnesota Twins entered this series on a six-game losing streak, so a 9-0 victory in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants took some pressure off the team.
“I think it was good for everyone to be able to go out there early, get the job done early, and not have to be there for nine innings kind of almost on the edge,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said after Friday’s win.
Shortstop Carlos Correa got things started with a two-run home run in the first inning after going 1-for-11 with four strikeouts in the team’s three-game series with the Houston Astros this week. Correa is batting .267 with 15 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 52 runs scored in his first season with the Twins.
Outfielder Gilberto Celestino broke the game open with a bases-clearing double in the third inning.
Right-hander Sonny Gray will get the start. Gray is 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 95 over 95⅔ innings. Gray is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four August starts, though he’s coming off his first loss of the month after allowing two runs on five hits over six innings against the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Giants vs Twins Head-To-Head
The Minnesota Twins are looking for their second straight series win against the San Francisco Giants and first at home in the all-time rivalry. This is just the second series between these clubs played in Minnesota and the first at Target Field, which opened in 2010.
The Twins won the last series between these interleague rivals in 2017 after dropping the previous three series played between them. Looking at the MLB lines for Saturday’s game, Minnesota is favored to pick up another win and the series victory.
Giants vs Twins Game Information
- Game: Giants (61-63) vs Twins (63-61)
- Location: Target Field
- Day/Time: Saturday, Aug 27, 7:15 p.m. ET
- Live Stream: MLB TV
Giants vs Twins Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Giants | +1½ -175 | +125 | 7½Evo | 3½-115o / 3½-115u |
| Twins | -1½ +155 | -140 | 7½-120u | 3½-135o / 3½+105u |
Giants vs Twins Prediction
The Minnesota Twins were struggling heading into this series, but they have much more to play for than the San Francisco Giants, who are having their troubles as well. Look for the Twins to continue their drive for a potential playoff berth with another win.
When doing your MLB betting, take Minnesota to win at home.
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