The Twins (54-53, 24-29 away) travel to take on the Cardinals (47-60, 23-29 home) in game one of this interleague matchup. Pablo López is getting the start for the Twins while Miles Mikolas is starting for the Cardinals. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Minnesota Twins vs. St. Louis Cardinals showdown at Busch Stadium.

MINNESOTA TWINS VS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: St. Louis Cardinals +100

This game will be played at Busch Stadium at 7:45 ET on Tuesday, August 1st.

WHY BET THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS:

  • The Twins are just 1-4 in their last five road games.
  • St. Louis is taking on the Twins at the right time, as the Twins have dropped five straight games.
  • Pablo López has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.76 over his last three starts.

MINNESOTA TWINS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Entering with a record of 54-53, the Twins are in 1st place in the AL Central and are losers of five straight games. So far, they have a road win percentage of 45.3% compared to 55.6% at home. Minnesota’s overall series record stands at 15-14-4.

Pablo López is set to take the mound for the Twins with a 5-6 record. In 21 appearances, his ERA sits at 4.13, while his K/9 rate is 11.19. His FIP of 3.49 and OBP of .282 further illustrate his performance this season.

Pablo López put together a strong performance in his last start, going seven innings and giving up two runs. Unfortunately, the Twins were unable to come away with a victory, losing 9-7 to the Mariners.

Offensively, Minnesota is ranked 16th in the league with an average of 4.4 runs per game. When looking over their last five matchups, the Twins averaged 5.4 runs per contest, which is 3rd best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Minnesota is 7th in all of baseball, with a total of 141 home runs.

Over the Twins’ last five contests, Byron Buxton has been a force at the plate, leading the team in hits and batting an impressive .750. On the year, he is hitting .207 and has driven in 42 runs.

WILL THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

For the season, the Cardinals have put together a record of 47-60 and are 5th in the NL Central, putting them 11.5 games out of first place. St. Louis’ overall series record sits at 13-16-4. On the road, they have gone 24-31 and 23-29 at home.

Miles Mikolas has made 23 appearances this season, with a .411 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.30 WHIP. His record stands at 6-6 with an ERA of 4.38, and he has 87 strikeouts so far, averaging 6.15 per nine innings. On the road, Mikolas is 4-3 with an ERA of 4.11, while at home his record is 2-3 and his ERA is 6.02.

Mikolas’ most recent start ended in a 10-3 loss to the Cubs, with the righty surrendering one earned run on no hits over a brief appearance.

Having gone deep 9 times in their last five games, the Cardinals are 2nd in that span. At 4.7 runs per game, St. Louis is 10th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .256 while hitting a total of 146 home runs (5th).

Lars Nootbaar has been a force for the Cardinals’ offense this season, leading the team with 10 homers and 4 in their last ten games. His overall batting average stands at .273, showcasing his consistent production at the plate.