Minnesota Twins vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions August 14th 2024

Wednesday’s matchup between the Royals and Twins has a first pitch set for 1:10 PM ET from Target Field in Minneapolis. The Twins are currently on a two-game winning streak and are 67-52 overall, while the Royals have lost two straight and are 3rd in the AL Central at 65-55.

Kansas City is starting Cole Ragans, while Louie Varland is on the mound for the Twins. On the money line, the Royals are the slight favorite, with their odds sitting at -113 compared to the Twins at -106. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and this game will be televised on MLBN.

Kansas City vs. Minnesota Key Information

• Teams: Royals at Twins
• Where: Target Field Minneapolis
• Date: Wednesday, August 14th
• Betting Odds KC -113 | MIN -106 O/U 8

Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Twins on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 9-7 with a 3.27 ERA. Ragans has pitched well on the road, coming in with a record of 3-3 and an ERA of 2.88. At home, his ERA is 5.53. Overall, he has turned in 16 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up just one earned run. Ragans has won each of his last two starts.

As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the top home run hitting teams in the league and are batting a collective .253, which is 7th in the majors. One area where they have struggled is in terms of drawing walks, as they are 26th in the league in that category.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 23 home runs is 13th in the league and is the best mark on the team. He also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak and has gone 9/23 in his last six games, with three homers. Salvador Perez is also near the top of the league in homers, as his 22 is 14th in the league. He is also on a seven-game hitting streak.

• The Royals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Royals are 2-3 vs. the run line.
• Kansas City has an over/under record of 9-1 in their last ten games.
• The Royals have an average of 5.4 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Royals are 6-4
• Looking back across the Royals last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Kansas City has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Royals have averaged 5.6 runs per game on offense

Right-hander Louie Varland gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Royals at home. Varland has made six starts and seven appearances this season, finishing with a record of 0-4 and 6.46 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .313 off Varland this year, and his WHIP is 1.66. So far, he has allowed a total of seven home runs. In his last outing, Varland went 4 2/3 innings, giving up three earned runs, and he finished with a no-decision. He has not won a game since 2020.

Minnesota comes into today’s game as one of the league’s top offenses, as they are 6th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game. Overall, the Twins are 6th in home runs and have the 6th best team batting average in the league. Collectively, the Twins have been doing a good job of getting on base, as they are 5th in OBP.

Byron Buxton has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 4/15 in his last five games with two homers. For the season, he is batting .275 with 16 home runs. Ryan Jeffers is the team’s top power threat, with 17 homers, but he is batting just .228 for the season. Jeffers also comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.

• The Twins are 6-4 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Twins are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• Minnesota has an over/under record of 6-3-1 in their last ten games.
• The Twins have an average of 6.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Twins are 4-6
• Looking back across the Twins last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Minnesota has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Twins have averaged 3.6 runs per game on offense

The Minnesota Twins are on a roll, and they’re looking to keep it that way as they aim to sweep the Kansas City Royals in their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon in Minneapolis. After dominating the first two games with scores of 8-3 and 13-3, the Twins are sticking to their game plan: keep it simple, stay focused, and let the fundamentals lead the way.

Twins Stick to the Basics Against Strong Royals Pitching

Even though the Twins have been on an offensive tear, their manager, Rocco Baldelli, knows that facing the Royals’ pitching staff isn’t going to be a walk in the park. He’s all about keeping his team disciplined at the plate.

Pitching Showdown: Varland vs. Ragans

The Royals are hoping that left-hander Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) can cool off the Twins’ hot bats. Ragans has been in top form, racking up 166 strikeouts over 140 1/3 innings this season. He’s coming off a strong performance against the Boston Red Sox, where he only allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings, despite giving up three unearned runs.

On the other side, the Twins are sending right-hander Louie Varland (0-4, 6.46 ERA) to the mound. Varland, who’s from nearby Saint Paul, is still searching for his first win of the season. In his last outing in the majors, he gave up three runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Cleveland Guardians. He’s hoping to turn things around in front of his home crowd.

Players to Keep an Eye On: Jose Miranda and Bobby Witt Jr.

Jose Miranda, the Twins’ third baseman, has been on fire lately. He went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in Tuesday’s game, hitting a single, double, and triple. His recent hot streak has bumped his batting average up to .313, making him a player to watch as the Twins go for the sweep.

For the Royals, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has been a standout, hitting .347 with 23 home runs and 88 RBIs this season. He’s a potential American League MVP candidate and has been one of the few bright spots for Kansas City in this series. So far, he’s gone 2-for-6 with a home run in the first two games.

Royals Looking to Bounce Back Against Tough Twins

The Royals have had a solid season overall, but they’ve struggled against the Twins, with just a 2-7 record in their head-to-head matchups this year. After Tuesday’s loss, Royals manager Matt Quatraro acknowledged the challenge that the Twins present.

Twins Aim to Keep Winning, Royals Seek Redemption

The Twins are focused on keeping their momentum going, using their disciplined approach and fundamental play to close out the series with a sweep. But with a talented pitcher like Cole Ragans on the mound for the Royals, they’ll need to stay sharp.

For the Royals, this game is a chance to turn things around and get something positive out of the series. With players like Bobby Witt Jr. shining bright, they’ll be looking to put up a fight and avoid the sweep.

As both teams gear up for the final game of the series, it’s shaping up to be an exciting matchup where discipline, execution, and standout performances could make all the difference.

The Lean

Our lean in this Royals vs. Twins matchup is to take the Royals to win straight-up. We also have this as the 6th highest-scoring game of the day and are leaning towards the over. The Royals offense is our 7th ranked unit in terms of hits, and Cole Ragans is 11th in our projections in terms of starting pitcher strikeouts. On the other side, Louie Varland has the 3rd lowest strikeout projection among today’s starters.