Minnesota Twins vs Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions August 9th 2024

Guardians Aim to Stop Slide in Doubleheader Against Twins

The Cleveland Guardians are hoping to halt a season-high five-game long string of failures as they face the Minnesota Twins in a crucial doubleheader on Friday. This four-game series, starting with the day-night doubleheader, holds significant importance for the two teams in the American League Central race. In front of the rest of the competition Cleveland enters the end of the week with a 3 1/2-game lead over Minnesota, however with the Twins eager to close the gap, the tension is on the Guardians to make something happen.

Guardians Seek to End Losing Streak

The Guardians have battled as of late, dropping five successive games, including a doubleheader clear at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Be that as it may, manager Stephen Vogt remains hopeful regardless of the difficult situation, emphasizing the team’s work and strength.

“The consequences of the last five days we could do without, yet the way we’re playing, especially allowing ourselves an opportunity to tie the game and take the lead, I was unable to ask for anything more,” Vogt said following Wednesday’s misfortunes. “I’d lie assuming that I let you know we are in general happy at this moment, and yet, every team goes through these stretches. I believe it’s not the way we’re playing, it’s the outcomes.”

The Guardians had a day off on Thursday, offering the team a truly necessary chance to rest and refocus before this pivotal series. As they hope to stop their pallet, Cleveland should figure out how to transform areas of strength for them into wins, especially against a divisional rival.

Twins Look to Capitalize on Guardians’ Struggles

The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, are falling off two successive misfortunes to the Chicago Cubs. Manager Rocco Baldelli is dealing with the absence of shortstop Carlos Correa, who remains sidelined with a heel injury. Correa’s absence is a significant catastrophe for the Twins, and his return isn’t normal this end of the week.

“He’s ramping up his running at present,” Baldelli explained on Wednesday. “He’s not running yet. At the point when he’s able to run and run the way he wants to, he will go on a rehab assignment and go get some at-bats. Then, at that point, he’ll be coming back at that point. He has not hit that point yet.”

Baldelli acknowledged the challenge of staying patient without one of the team’s central members however focused on the importance of zeroing in on the drawn out picture.

“Every game feels like the most important thing, and it is at that moment, but the long game for us, with the players that we have, is probably more important at this point in the season,” Baldelli said.

Pitching Matchups: Varland and Ober Lead Twins

The Twins are supposed to call up right-hander Louie Varland (0-4, 6.58 ERA) to start the principal game of the doubleheader. Varland, who has shown guarantee with a 1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings in June, has been performing great in late starts for Triple-A St. Paul. In spite of his battles earlier in the season, Varland could give a spark to Minnesota in this critical matchup. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career games (one start) against Cleveland.

Cleveland has not yet announced their starter for the first game, but they may follow the Twins’ strategy by promoting a pitcher from their Triple-A affiliate. One possibility is right-hander Triston McKenzie, who has posted a 3-5 record with a 5.11 ERA for the Guardians this season.

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In the nightcap, the Twins are expected to turn to right-hander Bailey Ober (11-5, 3.69 ERA). Ober has been in excellent form, winning three straight decisions and recording eight consecutive quality starts. His consistency on the mound will be crucial as the Twins look to gain ground in the division. Ober has a solid track record against Cleveland, with a 1-2 record and a 2.53 ERA in six career starts against the Guardians.

Cobb Makes Season Debut for Guardians

The Guardians will counter in the second game with veteran right-hander Alex Cobb (0-0, 0.00 ERA), making his season debut. Cobb, who was acquired from the San Francisco Giants before the trade deadline, has not pitched this year after undergoing offseason hip surgery. The 36-year-old has a 4-3 record with a 4.86 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins and will be looking to make a strong first impression with his new team.

Friday’s doubleheader opens with a makeup game from an April 7 postponement, adding an extra layer of significance to this already crucial series. As both teams battle for control of the AL Central, the performances in these two games could have lasting implications for the rest of the season.