The Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up their brief two-game series on Wednesday night. Both the Twins and Cardinals were division champs a season ago, and they are both playoff contenders this season.
St. Louis has started off the season by going just 2-2, while the Minnesota Twins are off to a 3-1 start. The Cardinals are dealing with a ton of injuries already this season, and Minnesota has a loaded lineup with plenty of talent on the bench.
In a short 60 game season, every game is crucial for each team. Minnesota will be looking for the two-game sweep, while the Cardinals want to salvage a game in Minnesota. The Minnesota Twins are -145 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.
Cardinals in Search of Pitching
The St. Louis Cardinals were expected to have a number of pitchers competing for a spot in the rotation this season, but they are already searching for more rotation help. Miles Mikolas will have season-ending elbow surgery, and that leaves a hole in the rotation.
Daniel Ponce de Leon will get the start on Wednesday night, and he will be trying to earn a permanent spot in the starting rotation. Ponce de Leon pitched to an ERA of 3.70 a season ago while splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.
Carlos Martinez gave up six earned runs in the loss on Tuesday, but the Cardinals bullpen was able to shut the door from there. The Cardinals have a number of players with electric arms in the ‘pen, and they can usually shut the door when given a lead.
Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill both hit home runs on Tuesday night for the Cardinals, and they are two of the young stars in the St. Louis lineup. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the biggest offensive weapon for the Cards, but he has yet to really get things going.
Twins Offense is Scary Good
The Minnesota Twins led the Majors with 307 home runs a season ago, and they appear to be picking up where they left off. The Twins have already hit nine home runs this season, and they have the potential to have some huge games on offense.
Nelson Cruz leads the way with three home runs, and Max Kepler has pitched in with a pair. Minnesota has scored five runs in the second inning in each of their previous two games, and this offense can do some major damage in a hurry.
Left-hander Rich Hill will be on the mound for Minnesota on Wednesday night, and the Twins are counting on him to be their fifth starter. Hill is fully recovered from offseason elbow surgery, and the veteran has had a terrific career. Even though the Twins have to rely on their pitching at times, this team wants to win games with their high-powered offense.
Minnesota Beats St. Louis Again
The St. Louis Cardinals don’t have enough solid starting pitching right now, and that’s a scary proposition when facing the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota can put up runs in a hurry, and that trend will likely continue on Wednesday night. St. Louis does have a solid offense of their own, but that offense hasn’t really gotten going so far this season. The Cardinals can’t expect to win low-scoring games against high-powered offenses like the Twins feature.
Even though Minnesota might not be as dominant in 2020 as they were a season ago, they look like real threats to win the World Series in 2020. Minnesota will pick up their second straight win over a tough Cardinals squad.
Head to FanDuel Sportsbook and bet the Minnesota Twins -145 over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.
