The Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins kick off a four-game series in Minnesota on Thursday night. The Guardians have a chance to significantly close the gap between the two teams with a strong weekend against the Twins. The pitching matchup on Thursday night will feature Cleveland rookie right-hander Tanner Bibee (1-1, 2.88) taking on Twins' righty Pablo Lopez (3-3, 4.11). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:40 PM EST.
The NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball…oh my! Check out all my premium picks for a variety of premium events. My Best Bet of the Week is only $49.99 (usually $100) if you use this link. Take advantage of this as this comes with a profit guarantee. Win or get the money back in credit!
The Cleveland Guardians are in third place in the AL Central Division but the results thus far have been well below expectations for a team that won the AL Central and advanced past the wildcard round in 2022. The Guardians have had difficulty producing runs this season despite acquiring first baseman Josh Bell and catcher Mike Zunino in the offseason aimed at giving the team more power. The duo has combined for just six home runs and 33 RBI heading into Wednesday afternoon's series-closing the series game against the Orioles. On Wednesday, the Guardians survived a rare rough start from ace Shane Bieber and outslugged the slumping Orioles 12-8. The Guardians had a season-high 17 hits including a 4-for-6 day from Josh Naylor that included two doubles, a home run and six RBI.
Logan Allen has entered the discussion about the top rookies in baseball.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/T3n0DAvNUe
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 30, 2023
Cleveland will give the ball to rookie Tanner Bibee in the series opener against the Twins. Bibee has pitched well since being called up with a record of 1-1 in six starts and an ERA of 2.88. Bibee has three quality starts thus far and a K/9 rate of 8.9 and a WHIP of 1.09. On the road this season, Bibee is 1-0 in two starts with an ERA of 3.18. His K/9 rate drops to just 6.4 on the road and his WHIP raises up to 1.32 while allowing 11 hits in 11.2 innings pitched.