Cleveland vs Minnesota Odds, Betting Lines, and Probable Pitchers (August 18)

• The Minnesota Twins are -130 favorites over Cleveland in an afternoon game on Wednesday, August 18
• Minnesota is 8-4 over the past 12 games
• Cleveland is 4-0 straight up in game three over the club’s last four three-game series

The Minnesota Twins (53-67, 29-33 home) are among baseball’s hottest teams. Cleveland’s (58-60, 29-33 away) American League team? Not so much.

Cleveland is 3-5 through the past eight games. Even though the club stopped Minnesota’s streak of walk-off wins at two with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday, that didn’t impress oddsmakers all that much.

The Twins are established as the -130 home favorites to win the Wednesday afternoon rubber match of this three-game series. Minnesota is the worst runline team in MLB this season. The Twins are 47-73 against the runline. That’s a 39.1% success rate.

Cleveland vs Minnesota Odds

Odds as of August 17th at DraftKings.

First pitch Wednesday afternoon at Target Field is slated for 1:10pm ET. The weather forecast is calling for clear skies, 10 mph wind, and a temperature of 97 degrees.

Plesac vs Thorpe

Cleveland right-hander Zach Plesac is 7-1 through his last eight decisions. That covers 12 starts. Plesac is 5-1 over his last six road starts. He is 3-3 in six decisions when facing AL Central opposition.  In his last start at Detroit, Plesac struck out nine Tigers batters, a season high.

He’s faced the Twins twice this season and didn’t get a decision in either start. He gave up three earned runs over 7.2 innings during a 5-3 win on April 26. Minnesota roughed up Plesac for five runs, three of them earned, over 3.2 innings of an 8-5 loss on May 23. Both starts were in Cleveland.

Zach Plesac bounced back nicely after his rough outing last time on the bump.

In 7.2 innings, ZP struck out a season-high 9 batters while allowing 5 hits.#OurCLE pic.twitter.com/f7RG3mhLAL

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 14, 2021

Plesac is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career starts against the Twins. The one loss came in his only previous start at Target Field. He allowed six hits, including three homers and five runs, three earned in seven innings. Plesac took an 8-4 loss on September 20, 2020.

Australian lefty Lewis Thorpe is being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to make the start for Minnesota. His last MLB win was September 19, 2019 against Kansas City.

Lewis Thorpe was unleashing some rainbow curves tonight for the Saints.
5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K pic.twitter.com/9t0w0UCGEt

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) August 14, 2021

Thorpe has faced Cleveland three times, including one start. He’s 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA and a WHIP of 2.10.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

Several Twins hitters are displaying a tendency to wear out Plesac. Outfielder Max Kepler is 1-for-2 (.500) with a home run and three RBI. Outfielder Brent Rooker is 2-for-4 (.500) with a solo homer. Centerfielder Rob Refsnyder is 1-for-2 (.500) with an RBI. Catcher Mitch Garver is also 1-for-2 (.500).

Heck of a double play for the Twins with the catch by Refsnyder and play at first by Sano pic.twitter.com/sQGRfA7vvj

— Superdrunkmark69 (@cjzer0) August 18, 2021

Catcher/infielder Willians Astudillo is 1-for-3 (.333). That one hit was a solo homer. Utility man Luis Arraez is 1-for-3 (.333) and has driven in a run.

Cleveland left-fielder Orlando Mercado is 3-for-4 (.750) against Thorpe. He’s counted two doubles, a homer, has scored two runs and driven in two.

Cleveland vs Twins Pick

The Twins assigned outfielder Trevor Larnach to Triple-A St. Paul and recalled utility man Nick Gordon from the same club. Minnesota is without first base coach Tommy Watkins and co-hitting coach Edgar Varela. Both have COVID-19.

Minnesota second baseman Jorge Polanco registered consecutive walk-off hits in Twins victories on Sunday of the Tampa Bay Rays and Monday vs Cleveland.

.@Jorge_Polanco1 is the first @Twins player with 4+ walk-offs in a season since Kent Hrbek in 1987 (5). pic.twitter.com/00leg9tzIS

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) August 17, 2021

Polanco is the first Twin to provide a walkoff in back-to-back games since Jacque Jones on July 19th-20th of 2005 against the Baltimore Orioles.  He also the first Minnesota player with as many as four walk-off hits in a season since Kent Hrbek connected for five in 1987.

Cleveland is a solid 32-21 straight up against AL Central opposition this season. Minnesota is 6-5 in head-to-head action against Cleveland this season. Cleveland’s win on Tuesday ended a three-game win streak against them. The Twins have won three of five games played this season between the two teams at Target Field.

Cleveland is 16-23 this season as an away underdog. They are 23-40 overall as a underdog this season.

Pick: Cleveland (+110)