Cleveland just watched a three-game win streak evaporate over the weekend, and now it heads to Target Field to face a Twins team that's lost its best player for who knows how long.
Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 7, 4:08 AM CT
+100-101CLEMIN-107
-207-208CLE +1.5MIN -1.5+185
-113-111Over 8.5Under 8.5-101
Best BetGuardians -101
Cleveland's price implies they're a live underdog on the moneyline, and that's fair value given how thin Minnesota's pitching depth has gotten with Ober, Abel and Lopez all out. The Guardians' recent skid is more bad luck than bad baseball — they've been in every game. Backing Cleveland here means betting the roster depth over the recent scoreboard results.
Guardians
+Won 3 straight before this weekend's skid
+Cantillo dealing over his last several starts
+Sit 2nd in the AL Central at 47-44
−Lost last 2 games, including blowing a lead
−Missing Ramirez and Martinez in the lineup
−Cantillo walked 5 in his last outing
Twins
+Won 2 of last 3, including a blowout of the Yankees
+Bradley has been red-hot, elite strikeout stuff lately
+Playing meaningful games at home in front of their fans
−Below .500 at 44-47, sitting 3rd in the division
−Just lost Buxton to a re-aggravated hip injury
−Rotation and bullpen both gutted by IL moves
Joey Cantillo (7-3, 3.86 ERA) gets the ball for Cleveland against Taj Bradley (7-3, 3.86 ERA) in a first pitch set for 6:40 PM CT. Both righties carry identical records, and it sets up as a legitimate pitchers' duel to open the series.
The bigger story might be who's not playing. Byron Buxton left Sunday's win over the Yankees after aggravating a hip issue sliding into second, and for a Twins team already without Bailey Ober, Mick Abel and Pablo Lopez in the rotation, losing their All-Star center fielder is the last thing they needed. Cleveland has its own hole at third base with Jose Ramirez still working back from hamate surgery, though word is he's progressing toward a return.
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6:40 PM CT
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CLE Guardians
MIN Twins
Both clubs are treading water in the AL Central race, and neither can afford to just punt a series against a division rival. That context matters more than any number on a board heading into Tuesday.
Cleveland Guardians
Minnesota Twins
Recent form.
Cleveland's four-game win streak snapping felt worse than it looked — they scored 6 runs in the finale and still lost, and dropped a 1-3 decision the day before. Minnesota, meanwhile, is playing its best baseball of the last couple weeks, taking 2 of 3 from a Yankees team that isn't walking through that door easily.
Cleveland Guardians
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Minnesota Twins
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
The absences on both sides make lineup cards worth checking before first pitch. Cleveland is already missing Ramirez and Angel Martinez in the middle of the order, and Minnesota now has to figure out center field and much of its pitching depth chart without Buxton, Ober, Abel and a handful of bullpen arms all shelved at once.
