The Rangers (72-55, 30-31 away) and Twins (66-62, 37-26 home) square off in two of this American League series. Sonny Gray will take the mound for the Twins against Dane Dunning for the Rangers. See who I like to come out on top in this Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins showdown in Minneapolis.

TEXAS RANGERS VS MINNESOTA TWINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers -101

This game will be played at Target Field at 8:10 ET on Friday, August 25th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers will be taking on a Twins club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Coming into the game, the Twins have gone just 4-6 in their last ten home games.
  • For the season, the Rangers have gone 10-9 with Dane Dunning on the mound as the starter.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

On a record of 72-55, the Rangers find themselves in 1st place in the AL West. When playing away from home, Texas is just 30-31 and come into the game with an overall series record of 24-15-2.

Rangers starter Dane Dunning has been a reliable presence in the team’s rotation this season, boasting an impressive 9-5 record over 27 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.19, while his K/9 figure is 6.85 and FIP 4.07. Opposing batters have been held to a .292 OBP against him so far this year.

The Rangers were unable to come away with the victory in Dane Dunning’s last start, falling 6-1 to the Brewers. The right-hander went five innings, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits.

So far this season, the Rangers’ has gone deep 177 times, placing them 5th in the league. Over Texas’ previous five games, they are 14th in runs scored, with their season average of 5.6 runs per game putting them 2nd in the league. The Rangers’ overall team batting average stands at .269 along with an OBP of .339.

The Rangers’ offensive leader, Marcus Semien, is batting .278 this season. He has a .466 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .348.

WILL THE MINNESOTA TWINS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Through 128 games, the Twins have a record of 66-62. This mark includes going 19-17-5 across their 41 series. Currently, Minnesota is 1st in the AL Central and have a 37-26 record at home while going 29-36 on the road. So far, the Twins have gone 28-33 against teams with above .500 records.

Today marks Sonny Gray’s 26th outing of the season, and he holds a 6-6 record. His ERA is 3.15, with an OBP allowed of .291, and he has fanned 147 batters with a WHIP of 1.21. On the road, Gray’s ERA is 3.08 compared to his 3.29 mark at home.

Despite going 6 2/3 innings in his latest outing, Sonny Gray and the Twins were unable to come away with a win, falling 7-4 to the Pirates. The right-hander allowed four runs on four hits in the contest.

The Twins have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 9 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 3rd best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 5th in home runs and 11th in slugging percentage. Overall, Minnesota is averaging 4.4 runs per game (16th).

Over the Twins’ past ten games, Michael A. Taylor has been their most prolific power hitter, belting four home runs and bringing his season total to 19. His overall batting average stands at .228.