The Twins (75-69, 42-31 home) host the Rays (89-56, 39-31 away) in game two of this American League series. Getting the start for the Twins is Joe Ryan while the Rays are turning to Zack Littell. Read on to get my best bet for this Minnesota Twins vs. Tampa Bay Rays matchup.

TAMPA BAY RAYS VS MINNESOTA TWINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Rays +113

This game will be played at Target Field at 7:40 ET on Tuesday, September 12th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY RAYS:

  • The Rays will be taking on a Twins club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Rays’ win streak currently stands at two games.
  • The Rays have gone 1-3 in Joe Ryan’s last four starts.

TAMPA BAY RAYS TRYING TO CLOSE GAP IN AL EAST

145 games into the season, the Rays have a record of 89-56, putting them 2nd in the AL East. This mark includes an overall series 28-13-6. At home, they are 50-25 compared to 39-31 on the road.

Tampa Bay’s Zack Littell currently holds a 3-5 record and 4.29 ERA. When on the road, his ERA is 4.26, but it jumps to 9.34 when pitching at home. His WHIP for the season is 1.21 with an opposing batting average of .268 and slugging percentage of .439.

Zack Littell will look to continue his success from his last outing, in which he pitched eight frames and gave up one earned run on five hits. Unfortunately, the Rays were unable to come away with a victory, losing 1-0 to the Mariners.

The Rays have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 14 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 8th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 4th in home runs and 4th in slugging percentage. Overall, Tampa Bay is averaging 5.3 runs per game (4th).

The Tampa Bay Rays have seen Yandy Díaz shine offensively over their last five games, with the slugger leading the team in hits and batting .433. On the season, Díaz has been a force at the plate, boasting a .324 average and 71 RBIs.

WILL THE MINNESOTA TWINS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

As the Twins head into today’s game vs. the Rays, they have the top spot in the AL Central with an overall record of 75-69. Currently, their home/away splits sit at 42-31 and 33-38, respectively. Through 46 series, they have gone 23-18-5.

Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan has posted a 10-9 record in 2023, along with an ERA of 4.21. His ERA is higher on the road (5.68) than it is at home (4.21). Ryan’s WHIP for the season stands at 1.12, and he has allowed a batting average of .239 to opposing teams, who have compiled a slugging percentage of .433 against him.

Joe Ryan was dealt the loss in the Twins’ 2-1 defeat to the Guardians after giving up two runs on four hits over four innings.

Across their last ten games, the Twins’ offense is 8th in batting average, leading to an average of 6.5 runs per contest in that span. Overall, they are the 14th ranked scoring offense and posted a season-long OPS of .747 on 203 (5th).

The Twins’ offensive leader Carlos Correa has tallied a .228 batting average this season, boasting a .401 slugging percentage and a .310 on-base percentage.