Detroit Tigers vs Minnesota Twins Picks and Predictions July 26th 2024

Big Hitters Could Return as Twins Visit Tigers

The Minnesota Twins won a series against the team with the majors’ best record this week. They could add a couple of reinforcements during their weekend series against the Detroit Tigers that begins on Friday night.

Recent Victory Against Phillies

Minnesota took two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies, including a 5-4 victory on Wednesday. Max Kepler provided the finishing touches with a walk-off infield single.

“We’re grinding with what we have,” Kepler said. “A lot of guys are down on the injured list and we’re still competing, which is special with a group this young right now, to go through the stuff we’re going through against these top-tier teams.”

Potential Returns from Injured List

Infielders Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda could be activated from the harmed list this end of the week. Lewis sustained a right adductor strain against the Tigers on July 2. Miranda has been out since July 11 with a lower back injury. Lewis, perhaps of the most talented youthful hitter in the game, has played only 24 games this season however has 10 homers and five copies. Miranda was hitting .325 preceding being racked. Getting those two major bats in the arrangement again would support the Twins’ chances of catching the primary spot Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central.

Manager’s Viewpoint

“I was glad the way that we came together these last three days against a great team,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “No one let up. No one at any point stops here, and the folks keep on playing hard until we get the success.”

Pitching Matchup: Lopez versus Montero

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (8-7, 4.86 ERA) will start the opener of the three-game series against Detroit. Lopez was sharp in his most memorable post-All-Star-break appearance, restricting the Brewers to one run and four hits in seven innings on Saturday. He tossed a season-high 109 pitches. Lopez has made three career starts against Detroit, posting a 1-2 record and a 4.24 ERA. He lost to the Tigers on April 12 after allowing five runs on six hits in four or more innings.

Keider Montero (1-3, 5.97 ERA) will get the start for Detroit. The youngster right-hander has surrendered five earned runs in each of his past two starts. In his most memorable trip after the All-Star break, Montero was charged with five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings at Toronto on Sunday. Blue Jays outfielder George Springer blasted two home runs off Montero fastballs.

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Montero’s Challenges

“It was more about execution,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It looked like Keider was struggling with location for most of the day. Breaking balls were pulled or hung. And the two fastballs, you get into fastball counts and guys like Springer are going to get you. He got him twice.”

Montero recorded his solitary major league triumph against the Twins on July 3. He held them to two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Tigers’ Recent Performance

The Tigers are falling off a 4-3 road trip. They split a four-game series with Cleveland, winning the finale 3-0 Thursday afternoon.

“Clearly, we’re flawed and you always glance back at the misfortunes and think, ‘How is it that we could have won it?’ (Yet) we’ve played very well for some time now and this gathering is having loads of tomfoolery,” Hinch said.

Conclusion

As the Twins and Tigers prepare for their end of the week series, the potential return of central participants like Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda could give a significant lift to Minnesota. The two teams are hoping to expand on late triumphs and harden their situations in the standings. With promising pitching matchups and the anticipation of fortifications, this series is set to be a crucial one for both the Twins and the Tigers as they navigate the final part of the season.