Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins Preview and Pick

Chicago White Sox (59-45) +120, 9 1/2 at Minnesota Twins (58-47), 8 pm Eastern Tuesday
by Zman of Predictem.com

The top team in the AL Central looks to hold off its closest competitor as the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins play the second game of a four-game series Tuesday night at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Baseball bookmakers are listing Minnesota and starting pitcher Glen Perkins (7-3, 4.08, 1.43 WHIP) as –130 home favorites for Tuesday's game, with a total of 9 1/2, while Chicago and rookie Clayton Richard, making his second career ML start, are getting +120 as road underdogs.

The Twins took the opener of this series Monday night 7-0, their third win in a row, as Kevin Slowey tossed a six-hit shutout. So going into Tuesday's play, Minnesota is in second place in the AL Central, just a game and a half back of the division-leading White Sox.

Chicago is 24-29 on the road this year, 21-25 as underdogs, just 3-11 in games played on artificial turf, but 59-45 vs. the run line.

Minnesota is 35-19 at home this season, 22-8 as favorites, and a money-making 66-38 vs. the run line.

The Sox have taken seven of 12 games from the Twins so far this season, with the totals going 7-5, as the games have averaged 10.9 total runs per.

Last year, these divisional rivals split 18 games, with the totals going 10-6-2, as the games averaged 11.1 total runs per.

In his first ML start last Tuesday vs. Texas, lefty Richard gave up four ER and eight baserunners (hits + walks) in 4 IP of a 10-8 Chicago win.

Over his last three starts, including a rough outing vs. the Yankees last Wednesday, Perkins has given up seven ER and 23 BR in 18 2/3 IP. Minnesota is 9-6 in Perkins' starts this year, the totals 7-8.

Perkins has started one game in his short ML career vs. the White Sox, allowing three ER and eight BR in 5 1/3 IP of a 7-5 Twins loss a month and a half ago.

Offensively, Chicago ranks 11th in the majors this season in team BA at .264, 10th in team OBP at .338, 4th in team slugging at .443, and is averaging 5.0 runs per game.

Minnesota ranks 3rd in batting at .278, 12th in OBP at .335, 17th in slugging at .409, and is averaging 4.9 RPG.

Over the last five games, the Chicago bullpen has allowed seven ER and 17 BR in 15 IP.

Over its' last five games, the Minnesota pen has given up 10 ER and 27 BR in 17 IP.

The totals are 48-54 in Sox games this year, but seven of their last 10 games have gone over their totals, as Chicago pitching has given up 62 runs over that span.

The totals are 55-48 in Twins games this year, and 26-27 in games played at the Metrodome, which are averaging 8.9 total runs this season.

Zman's Pick: Rookie is a four letter word on the road at "The Baggie". We'll side with Glen Perkins and the Twins here.

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