Cleveland Guardians vs. Minnesota Twins June 22 Betting Preview

And just like that, the Cleveland Guardians are first in the AL Central. Albeit by a few percentage points, their 35-28 record (.556 winning percentage) edges out the Minnesota Twins’ 38-31 record (.551 winning percentage).

The two will square off in the second of a three-game series on Wednesday at Target Field with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 p.m.

The Guardians took the first game of this series on Tuesday 6-5. Aaron Civale was solid as he gave up just two runs over five innings. Trevor Stephan picked up the win in relief.

Offensively, Josh Naylor hit his eighth home run of the season as part of a two for four night. Andres Gimenez also picked up two hits in the 11-inning victory.

Luis Arraez hit his fourth home run of the season and picked up three runs batted in on two hits. Unfortunately for Twins’ fans, the team left 18 runners stranded on base.

June 22nd Guardians vs. Twins Betting Odds

The Twins are the favorite in this one playing at home. They are -148 to win while the Guardians’ moneyline sits at +126. The runline features Cleveland +1.5 (-172), and the over/under for total runs is 8.5.

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Pitching Matchup

24-year-old Triston McKenzie will take the mound in Wednesday’s contest. In 12 games, he is 4-5 with a 2.96 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and he has 61 strikeouts in 70 innings of work. In his last start, he picked up the win over the Rockies after allowing just one run in six innings.

The Twins will counter with 32-year-old Sonny Gray. In eight starts, he is 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and has 42 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. In 18 innings over his last three starts, Gray has given up just one earned run on a combined nine hits.

Guardians Stay Red Hot

To say that Cleveland has been on a tear as of late may be a bit of an understatement. In their last 20 games, the team has an .800 winning percentage with 20 victories. As they face the AL Central-leading Twins, they will aim to keep it rolling on Wednesday.

Collectively, the Guardians’ offense has been quite good this year. They rank 12th in scoring averaging 4.56 runs per game, and they have been solid on the road averaging 4.47.

They have even been able to manufacture runs despite ranking 28th in the majors in home runs with just 50 on the year.

Against Sonny Gray, there are a few players that have had some success. Andres Gimenez, Austin Hedges, and Josh Naylor are a combined 5 for 12 with three home runs.

Twins Trying To Reclaim Division Lead

While Minnesota has been solid at Target Field (20-15), they are going to have to up their play as they are hosting one of the league’s hottest teams.

Especially with seven games against the Guardians over the next couple weeks, the Twins have an opportunity to reclaim their divisional lead.

Keep an eye on Gio Urshela in Wednesday’s game. In his career against Triston McKenzie, he is two for five with two home runs and three runs batted in.

Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers have also homered against the righty, although those are their only hits in a combined 16 at bats.

Guardians Have Opportunity To Create Separation

The Cleveland Guardians have clawed their way back into contention and have overtaken first place in the AL Central by percentage points. Still, the job isn’t done for Cleveland as they now hope to create some separation at the top of the standings.

They will have their work cut out for them Wednesday as Sonny Gray has been tough this season, but Triston McKenzie has quietly been one of the Guardians’ best starters this year.

If McKenzie can give them a solid outing, Cleveland has a chance to secure their seventh straight series win and extend their divisional lead by a game.