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The Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins are set to do battle this evening for what will be the fifth meeting of the two teams already this season. It will be a contest between two first place teams in the American League.
The Twins are at the top of AL Central with a 17-9 record while the Astros are sitting at 17-12 and tied with the Mariners at the top of the AL West. The two teams are meeting seven times this year and are in the midst of their last series of the season.
They both have won two games each and all seven meetings are coming in a span of 10 days this season. The current money line has the Astros at -170 and the Twins at +145 with an over / under of eight runs.
Houston Looks to Take Sole Lead in Standings
After winning 10 games in a row, the Astros have been struggling a bit. They fell in game one of the four game set with the Twins to drop to 5-7 over their last 12 games. In that span, the Astros are 2-2 against the Twins. Tied atop the AL West, this is a big series for the Astros as the Mariners start a tough series against the Cubs tonight.
With a few wins over the next couple days the Astros could be looking at taking back sole possession of first play. Houston’s pitching and hitting has been instrumental for their success this year but they have had a hard time lining it up together. They are batting .267 on the season while scoring 132 runs. Their pitching has been solid with a 3.49 ERA and over the past three games has only allowed five runs. Lining it up in the rest of the series is going to be key to winning.
Twins Want to Prove Themselves
Much like Houston, Minnesota has been doing it on both sides of the diamond. They are batting .262 but have scored 141 runs this season. Pitching has been a little worse but still a respectable 4.15 ERA.
Jose Berrios leads the team in all triple crown categories with four wins, a 2.97 ERA, and 41 strikeouts. He has been key to their early season success as you can almost guarantee a win each time he takes the mound. The Twins are hot right now as they hold a four game winning streak as they come off a sweep of the Orioles.
Both Teams Need a Win
A win in game two would be big for both teams. Sitting at the top of the division early in the season you have to start creating space above the other teams in your division.
To do that, and finish out the season on top, you must win games against the other top teams in baseball. This series presents a great chance for both teams to do just that. Look for the Twins to keep their hot streak alive and take down the Astros. Take the under and the Twins at +145.
