Free Daily Lock Pick: NFL: Saints vs Panthers- September 18th – Max Confidence Comp
Click to see the pick now
A win in this series finale would bring each clubhouse one step closer to playoff baseball. For the Minnesota Twins (79-72; before Tuesday's game), October is inevitable unless they have a monumental collapse. As for the Cincinnati Reds (79-73), they're going to need a strong finish and an extra loss by at least one of the teams directly ahead of them. With Wednesday's game, these clubs once again put fate into their own hands. Great American Ball Park is still the venue for the final clash. This time, the first pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. EDT. Who will inch closer to clinching a playoff spot when these clubs collide?
*Published before Tuesday's results
Even after losing on Monday, a Cleveland loss made Minnesota five games away from an AL Central title. By the time this game starts, it could be three. Pitching has powered Minnesota this far, as only three teams are allowing fewer runs per game. Bailey Ober will try to keep it going with a strong outing on Wednesday. Things have been rough for Ober lately, as his ERA since July 29 is at 6.27. He hasn't pitched more than 5.0 innings in any of those starts. Also concerning is that Ober has allowed a homer in nine consecutive outings. The Twins have a subpar bullpen, largely relying on the rotation to get wins. Ober hasn't been reliable for that lately.
Offensively, September has been fantastic for the Twins. They are putting up over six runs per game through their first 17 of the month. Minnesota has MLB's worst strikeout rate, but when things are going well, they're drawing walks and clobbering homers with the best teams league-wide. They're fifth in walk rate and homers for the entire season and actively dominating both areas in September. This club still has an issue with baserunning. Ditto a low team batting average. The strikeouts won't help at all, especially in October. However, they're tearing the cover off the ball right now, at least when they're not earning free passes.
Free Daily Lock Pick: NFL: Saints vs Panthers- September 18th – Max Confidence Comp Click to see the pick now