Minnesota Twins vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Predictions August 25th 2024

Minnesota comes into this interleague matchup with the Cardinals as the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -130. The money line odds for the Cardinals are sitting at +110, and the over/under line is at 8.5 runs.

First pitch from Target Field is set for 2:10 PM ET, and BSN is carrying this one on TV. Erick Fedde is starting for the Cardinals, and the Twins will have Zebby Matthews on the mound. In the NL Central, the Cardinals are 3rd with a record of 64-65, while the Twins are 3rd in the AL Central at 72-57.

Right-hander Erick Fedde gets the start for the Cardinals today as he faces the Twins on the road. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 8-7 with a 3.39 ERA. Fedde’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.18, and opponents are batting .228 off him this year. In his last outing, Fedde took the loss, giving up two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Fedde has given up at least two homers in three of his last four outings.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn has been on a tear of late, going 12/34 in his last eight games with two homers and five RBIs. For the season, he is batting .281 with 11 homers, which is 5th in the league. Alec Burleson is the team’s leading home run hitter with 21 and is also 1st on the team with 70 RBIs. He is batting .274 for the season.

As a team, the Cardinals are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 24th in the league. They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. For the season, they are batting .246, which is 10th in the league.

Zebby Matthews will be making his second start of the season, and he will be pitching at home against the Cardinals. In his first start, he picked up a win vs. the Royals, going 5 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. He took a loss in his last start vs. the Padres, going 5 innings and striking out 4.

Minnesota’s offense has been one of the best in the league this season, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the MLB. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.1 runs per contest. The Twins are also near the top of the league in team batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Over the past five games, Austin Martin has gone 8/16 for the Twins, and he is currently on a five-game hitting streak. During this stretch, he has scored three runs and driven in four. Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach have also been swinging the bat well of late, with Wallner hitting two homers in his last five games and Larnach also going deep twice.

The St. Louis Cardinals are up against a significant challenge as they wrap up their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. Veteran catcher Willson Contreras suffered a broken finger on his right hand after getting hit by a pitch during the Cardinals’ 6-0 loss on Saturday. With Contreras out of the lineup, the Cardinals will need to adapt quickly to avoid dropping the series.

Impact of Contreras’ Injury

Contreras, now in his second season with the Cardinals, has been a key player both offensively and defensively. He’s been hitting .262 with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs in 84 games this season, making his injury a significant blow to a Cardinals team that’s already had a tough year.

With Contreras heading to the injured list, the Cardinals are expected to call up catcher Ivan Herrera from Triple-A Memphis. Herrera, 24, has shown promise in the majors this season, hitting .279 with three home runs and 19 RBIs in 54 games. His ability to step up in Contreras’ absence will be crucial as the Cardinals strive to stay competitive.

Twins Seek Series Victory

The Twins, who won the series opener 6-1 on Friday, are looking to take advantage of the Cardinals’ misfortune as they aim to secure the series victory. Minnesota is also focused on staying healthy as they push towards the postseason.

Twins outfielder Trevor Larnach was the star of Saturday’s win, blasting two home runs and driving in four RBIs in a dominant performance. It was Larnach’s first career multi-homer game, and his power at the plate has been a big boost for the Twins.

Baldelli praised Larnach for his consistent approach, noting that the outfielder has been swinging well all season, even if the results haven’t always shown it.

Pitching Matchup: Fedde vs. Matthews

The Cardinals will send right-hander Erick Fedde (8-7, 3.39 ERA) to the mound for Sunday’s series finale. Fedde, who joined St. Louis in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, is making his fifth start for the Cardinals. He’s struggled to find his footing with the team, going 1-3 with a 4.98 ERA. In his most recent outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, Fedde allowed two runs on six hits and four walks over 5 2/3 innings but took the loss in a 3-2 game.

However, Fedde has done well against the Twins in his career. In two starts against Minnesota this season while with the White Sox, he’s posted a 1-0 record with a 0.82 ERA, giving up just one run on seven hits across 11 innings.

The Twins will counter with rookie right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-1, 3.60 ERA), making his third career start. Matthews impressed in his debut against the Kansas City Royals on August 13, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings. But he struggled in his second outing against the San Diego Padres, giving up five runs (two earned) on four hits in a 5-3 loss.

Matthews has yet to face the Cardinals, making Sunday’s start a fresh challenge for the 25-year-old as he looks to bounce back from his last performance.

Cardinals and Twins Ready for Series Finale Showdown

As the Cardinals gear up to face the Twins in the series finale, they’ll need to quickly adjust to the absence of their veteran leader, Willson Contreras. Meanwhile, the Twins will aim to keep their momentum going and clinch the series with another strong showing. With both teams sending solid pitchers to the mound in Fedde and Matthews, Sunday’s game is shaping up to be a closely contested battle as the series wraps up in Minneapolis.

For a money-line pick, we are leaning towards the Twins to come out on top at home vs. the Cardinals. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 8th highest-scoring game of the day. Despite that, this one is expected to have the 3rd fewest strikeouts. Looking at the starters for this matchup, we have Erick Fedde as the better strikeout option over Zebby Matthews for the Twins.