Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins Prediction, 4/23/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins

Date: Friday, April 23, 2021

Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN

TV: Bally Sports North

Odds/Point Spread: Pittsburgh (+130) Minnesota (-140)

JT Brubaker and the Pittsburgh Pirates (8-10, 4th in NL Central) travel to Target Field on Friday where they'll meet the Minnesota Twins (6-11, 5th in AL Central). The Twins open this game at -140 while the Pirates are priced at +130. The O/U has been set at 8.5. The pitchers who are expected to start are JT Brubaker and J.A. Happ.

As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates are notching 3.9 runs/g, which ranks them 22nd in MLB. They have accounted for 70 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .316. The Pirates have accounted for 31 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 15 baseballs out of the park. They have 68 RBI's and 137 hits for the season, while their batting average sits at .231. Pittsburgh is slugging .370 and have struck out 167 times, while drawing a walk on 65 occasions.

Pirates pitchers have surrendered 23 long balls in addition to 88 runs (27th in the league). Their pitching staff has walked 69 hitters and their FIP comes in at 4.52 as a team this season. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 2.32 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.35. The Pirates are sitting with a team ERA of 4.91 this year (29th in baseball), and they have struck out 160 hitters.

Pirates pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 16 times and also have had 13 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have a total of 11 holds on the campaign (8th in MLB). The Pirates relief pitchers have earned a save percentage of 66.7% and has stepped onto the mound in 16 save situations. They have accumulated 2 saves this season and have missed out on 1 out of their 3 save opportunities. The relief pitchers have inherited 24 runners this season with 16.7% of them crossed home plate. The Pirates have sent 68 relievers to the mound on the season.

The Pirates have turned 69.4% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 1,368 innings, ranking them 18th in baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned 456 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 157 assists and 11 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .982 which is 20th in professional baseball, and they have turned 132 double plays.

Brubaker has taken the ball for 62 frames and has earned 66 punch outs so far in his pro baseball career. Brubaker (3-3 win-loss record in his career) has a FIP of 3.95 and he has gone up against 271 batters in the majors. His earned run average is 4.16 (29 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.293. He has allowed 59 hits (8.5 hits per 9 innings) with 22 walks.

The Minnesota Twins are sitting with an on-base percentage of .327 as well as a team batting average of .253 for the season. They have been called out on strikes on 158 instances (21st in the league) and have a total of 145 hits. Minnesota has accounted for 18 home runs so far this season to go along with 74 RBIs. The Twins have a team SLG% of .407 and they score 4.65 runs per contest (12th in baseball). They have put up 32 doubles, while walking 56 times and notching 79 runs.

The Minnesota pitching staff have given up 82 runs so far this season while having an ERA of 4.37 (70 earned runs conceded). They have yielded 22 home runs and they yield 5.12 runs per 9 innings (24th in the league). The Twins have a team WHIP of 1.263 in addition to having a FIP of 4.11 as a unit on the year. They have earned a K/BB ratio of 3.26 (153 strikeouts vs 47 walks). They rank 16th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 135.

Minnesota has called on bullpen pitchers to step onto the mound in 7 save chances and they have earned 3 saves. They rank 24th in the league with a save rate of 42.9%, and they have dispatched 54 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the year. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 24 times in high leverage situations in addition to 14 occasions with runners on base. Minnesota bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 72.7% out of 22 inherited runners. Sitting with 19 save situations, the Twins have accumulated 12 holds and 4 blown saves.

In their 1,299 innings played, the Twins have a defensive efficiency of 68.5% (23rd in the majors). The Minnesota Twins have turned 17 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .983 (17th in the majors). The Twins have 137 assists, 10 errors and have accumulated 433 putouts for the year.

Happ (123-92 record in his career) has a 3.98 ERA while allowing 8.5 hits per nine innings. His K/BB ratio is 2.48 and he has faced 7,413 opposing batters during his pro baseball career. He has conceded a total of 773 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.301 and being the owner of a FIP of 4.2. Thus far in his career, Happ has allowed 1,652 hits while he has tallied 1,546 punch outs in 1,750 frames.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Pittsburgh (+130)

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