MLB Baseball
2012-04-27 - Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
United States: Major League Baseball
Friday 27 April 2012 - First Pitch 8:10pm ET
1:10am (British Standard Time)
Preview
These two teams come into the series sharing the worst record in the American League as the Minnesota Twins (5-14) open up a three game series with the Kansas City Royals (5-14), but it is the latter who may feel a little better having snapped a 12 game losing run by taking a series from the Cleveland Indians.
Minnesota were swept themselves by the Boston Red Sox last time out and they have dropped to 1-6 since splitting a four game series with the New York Yankees in the Bronx. The three game loss to the Red Sox also means the Twins have dropped to 2-7 at home to open the season.
Carl Pavano will go to the mound for the home team and brings his 1-2 record and a 4.73 ERA 2012 record. He will take positives from the fact that he has allowed just 6 runs from 13 innings pitched against the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays from his last two starts as well as his overall record against the Royals.
Pavano won a pitching duel against Bruce Chen the last time he faced the Royals and blanked them while completing all 9 innings, allowing just 5 hits in the game. He is now 8-3 in his last 12 starts against Kansas City and he has a 4.08 ERA.
The pitcher will be expecting some run support from the batting line up as the Kansas City Royals will not have scheduled starter, Danny Duffy, on the mound for this one. That means the ball will be given to Everett Teaford, a pitcher who has been used in relief in his second season in the Major Leagues.
Teaford started 3 games last season for the Royals and finished with a 2-1 record and a 3.38 ERA. However, he has pitched 7 innings in relief so far this season and allowed 3 runs and struggled with his command by walking 5 others.
He has yet to face the Minnesota Twins.
Head to Head
Minnesota have won the last two games in the series between these two American League Central rivals, but they have split the last 8 games 4-4.
The Twins finished the 2011 regular season with a 10-8 season series win over Kansas City.
Minnesota have been dominant at home in the series, going 4-1 in the last 5 and 8-3 in the last 11 played here between the teams.
Prediction
This is another risky pick that I will personally be taking only for the smallest of units, but I think the Minnesota Twins are worth backing on the run line at an outstanding 2.70.
Minnesota have dominated the home games in the series between the teams and they definitely have the edge in the pitching department in this game. Everett Teaford is just struggling for his command at the moment and is coming in for a spot start because the regular pitcher is not healthy enough.
The Twins have been a little inconsistent at the plate, but they did show signs of life in the series with the Red Sox, twice scoring at least 5 runs in the three games they played against them. If Carl Pavano can limit the Royals as he did the last time he faced them, the Twins might not need to give him huge run support to cover the run line so it is worth chancing at the odds on offer.
The Pick :
Minnesota Twins 4-2 Kansas City Royals
