Giants vs. Twins (August 26): Desperate duo duel in series opener at Target Field

It is a dangerous time for both the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants, who meet in a must-win series for both teams starting tonight at Target Field.

The Giants enter this series with five losses in their last seven games, and they are now 5.5 games behind the rival San Diego Padres for the final NL wild-card spot.

The Twins, who sat atop the AL Central for much of the season, have lost six straight games and are four behind the Cleveland Guardians in the division and five games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final AL wild-card spot.

Who will pick up a pivotal win tonight? San Francisco will send Alex Wood to the mound tonight, while Joe Ryan will start for Minnesota.

San Francisco Giants vs. Minnesota Twins Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: San Francisco Giants (61-62, 27-33 away, 3rd in the NL West) vs. Minnesota Twins (63-62, 35-28 home, tied for 2nd in the AL Central)
• Venue & Location: Target Field (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Date: Friday, August 26, 2022
• Game Time: 8:10 p.m. Eastern Time (7:10 p.m. local time)
• Giants vs. Twins TV Info: MLB Network

Giants vs. Twins Pitching Matchup

• San Francisco Giants: LHP Alex Wood
• Minnesota Twins: RHP Joe Ryan

Giants vs. Twins Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top legal online sports betting sites may also be featured in this article.

Moneyline

• San Francisco Giants +110
• Minnesota Twins -130

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (-120)
• Under 7.5 (-102)

Run Line

• San Francisco Giants +1.5 (-196)
• Minnesota Twins -1.5 (+162)

Will Offensive Woes Continue to Trouble Minnesota and San Francisco?

The Twins are back home after a brief, fruitless visit to Houston, where they were swept by the Astros in a three-game series. That trip followed losing the final three games of their four-game series at home against the Texas Rangers last weekend.

In losing six in a row, Minnesota has scored only 12 runs. And over their last 16 games, a stretch in which they are 5-11, they have scored more than four runs only twice, an 8-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 10 and a 9-0 win over the Kansas City Royals ten days ago.

The Giants aren’t exactly thriving at the dish either. Over their last eight games, they have scored more than three runs only twice, a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies last Friday and a 9-8, 11-inning win over the Rockies last Sunday.

Though both of tonight’s starters have had some bad days in recent weeks, the offenses are unlikely to get a boost in this matchup.

Wood has struggled for consistency this season, but he had his best month in July, going 2-1 with a 1.65 ERA in five starts. But the ups and downs have returned this month, as he has two quality starts and two rough starts.

August Starts for Alex Wood

• vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R (6 ER), BB, 6 K
• at San Diego Padres: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
• vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R (3 ER), BB, 9 K
• at Colorado Rockies: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R (7 ER), 2 BB, 3 K

But the Twins are hitting only .240 against lefties (.251 vs. righties) and .236 in games with a southpaw starter (.254 in games with a right-handed starter), and they are averaging just four runs per game in games started by a lefty (4.52 in games started by a righty).

Ryan’s ERA has taken a big hit recently due to poor showings in road outings against the Dodgers and Padres, but he has been at his best at home, with a 5-3 record and a 2.95 ERA in 11 starts.

Ryan has allowed more than three runs only once at home this season, and over his last five home starts, he is 2-1 with a 2.17 ERA. He has allowed only seven runs (all earned), 15 hits, and eight walks in 29 innings in those starts.

While the Twins fare worse against lefties, the Giants fare worse against righties. They are hitting only .228 vs. righties (.246 vs. lefties) and .230 in games started by a righty (.241 in games started by a lefty), and they are averaging just 4.24 runs per game in games started by a righty (4.93 in games started by a lefty).

San Francisco Giants vs. Minnesota Twins Prediction and Picks

Giants vs. Twins Prediction: Twins to win

Giants vs. Twins Picks: Twins ML (Best Value: -130 at BetOnline, Bovada Sportsbook & BetMGM) & Giants team total under 3.5 runs (Best Value: -105 at BetOnline)

Neither team is in inspiring form at the moment, but I give the Twins the edge in this matchup with how good Ryan has been at home.

And if he has another solid outing at Target Field, the Giants won’t make too much of a dent on the scoreboard. That makes the latter play a solid option to make in addition to the ML.

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