Cleveland vs Minnesota Odds, Lines, and Probable Pitchers (Sep. 14)
- The Minnesota Twins are -130 home favorites to defeat Cleveland in an afternoon game slated for Tuesday, September 14
- Minnesota has won eight of the last 10 games from Cleveland
- The Twins are 10-2 against Cleveland in the last 12 games played at Minnesota
Cleveland (69-72, 33-36 away) and the Minnesota Twins (63-81, 33-38 home) have seen plenty of each other this season. As they clash in a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon in Minnesota, it will be the 17th and 18th games between these two American League Central Division rivals during the 2021 season.
Cleveland won their last meeting but Minnesota owns a 10-6 edge over the season series. That includes an 8-2 mark over the past 10 games and a 10-4 edge through the past 14 contests.
Oddsmakers see the Twins maintaining that edge. Minnesota is a -130 favorite to beat Cleveland on Tuesday in the opener of the twinbill. Cleveland has won back-to-back games over the Twins just once through the past 19 games and twice through the past 25 games.
Cleveland vs Twins Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | +110 | +1.5 (-195) | O 6.5 (-120) |
| Minnesota Twins | -130 | -1.5 (+165) | U 6.5 (+100) |
Odds as of September 13th at DraftKings.
First pitch of this game at Target Field is set for 3:10pm ET. In the forecast for Tuesday afternoon are clouds, 10 mph wind and a temperature of 75 degrees.
McKenzie vs Ryan
| 4-6 | Record | 1-1 |
| 4.44 | ERA | 2.25 |
| 3.86 | xERA | 2.10 |
| 1.08 | WHIP | 0.42 |
| 2.45 | SO/W Ratio | 9.00 |
On the one hand, Cleveland right-hander Triston McKenzie is 3-1 in his last four starts. On the other hand, that one loss was in his most recent start. And it was handed to him by the Twins.
Then again, it wasn’t like McKenzie didn’t pitch well. He allowed three hits and one earned run over six innings. McKenzie struck out seven. But he got no run support in a 3-0 loss.
Triston McKenzie, K'ing the side (fastball, slider and curve/sword). ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/MBhBUTQycQ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 8, 2021
McKenzie’s other start this season against the Twins also saw Cleveland suffer a shutout defeat. On May 21, Minnesota beat Cleveland 10-0. McKenzie took the loss. He lasted 3.1 innings, allowing six earned runs and walking five.
He’s lost all three of his career starts against Minnesota and has a 7.80 ERA to show for it.
Acquired in the Nelson Cruz deal, Twins right-hander Ryan has proven especially impressive. In his second MLB start, Ryan got that 3-0 win over McKenzie and Cleveland. He was perfect through 7.1 innings until surrendering a single to Cleveland’s Amed Rosario. That was the only baserunner Ryan allowed while securing his first MLB victory.
Nearly pitch perfect. 👏👏👏
Joe Ryan, ❗️ in his 2nd MLB start ❗️:
7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
85 pitches, 61 strikes#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/58cGkY8S6B
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 9, 2021
In his September 1 MLB debut, Ryan allowed three hits, including a homer, and three earned runs over five innings. He took the loss in a 3-0 setback against the Chicago White Sox.
Ryan has been perfect in 10 of 12 innings he has pitched. He hasn’t allowed a run in 11 of those 12 innings.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Twins Batters | Batting Average vs McKenzie | Cleveland Batters | Batting Average vs Ryan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luis Arraez | .000 | Bobby Bradley | .000 |
| Willians Astudillo | .000 | Yu Chang | .000 |
| Byron Buxton | .000 | Andres Gimenez | .000 |
| Jake Cave | .000 | Austin Hedges | .000 |
| Josh Donaldson | .167 | Rayn Lavarnway | .000 |
| Nick Gordon | .500 | Oscar Mercado | .000 |
| Ryan Jeffers | .250 | Owen Miller | .000 |
| Max Kepler | .000 | Harold Ramirez | .000 |
| Jorge Polanco | .200 | Jose Ramirez | .000 |
| Rob Refsnyder | .500 | Franmil Reyes | .000 |
| Ben Rortvedt | .000 | Amed Rosario | .333 |
| Miguel Sano | .000 | Myles Straw | .000 |
| Andrelton Simmons | .000 | Bradley Zimmer | .000 |
That single by Rosario makes him the only Cleveland batter to reach base safely when facing Ryan. He’s 1-for-3 (.333).
Twins center fielder Rob Refsnyder is 1-for-2 (.500) against McKenzie with a homer and an RBI. Fellow outfielder Nick Gordon is also 1-for-2 (.500) with an RBI.
Cleveland vs Twins Pick
Cleveland is 1-6 over the past seven games. That includes a 1-3 slate against the Twins. They’ve been outscored 24-4 over the last three games. They have also been shutout three times over the past six games, twice by the Twins. Cleveland is batting .088 (3-for-34) with runners in scoring position over the past seven games.
Cleveland baserunners tied a season-high with six stolen bases in Friday’s 10-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. The team has successfully swiped 35 consecutive bases. That’s five shy of the MLB record set by the 2103-14 Boston Red Sox.
Monday, the Twins blew a 5-0 lead and lost 6-5 to the New York Yankees. Minnesota is 9-4 over the past 13 games against AL Central opposition. The Twins are 5-10 in their past 15 games. Three of those five wins were gained against Cleveland.
Cleveland is the first team to get a second look at Ryan. That’s always challenging for a rookie.
Pick: Cleveland (+110)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
