The Minnesota Twins will wrap up their three-game interleague series against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday afternoon in a rubber match. The Twins are atop the AL Central with a 4-1 record and are sending young righty Pablo Lopez. He is coming off a victory over the Kansas City Royals as he went 5.1 shutout innings and gave up a pair of hits with a hit by pitch, three walks and eight strikeouts.
The Miami Marlins have been struggling to begin the season and are third in the NL East with a 2-4 record. Young southpaw Jesus Luzardo will be getting the start here for the Marlins and is coming off a victory against the New York Mets, where he threw 5.2 shutout innings and allowed two hits with four walks and five strikeouts in the game.
Minnesota Twins vs. Miami Marlins: Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | ML |
| Minnesota Twins | -1.5 (+140) | Over 7 (-115) | -125 |
| Miami Marlins | +1.5 (-165) | Under 7 (-105) | +105 |
Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Key Stats
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins have been an average offensive team this season and are 19th in the big leagues with a .699 team OPS while averaging 4.4 runs per game. Designated hitter Byron Buxton has been doing well throughout the season and has a 1.007 OPS with four runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts. If they can figure out how to continue improving at the plate, they will be in a great spot this season in an open AL Central.
Pablo Lopez will get the start in this game for Minnesota, and this should be interesting as Lopez is facing the team he pitched for his entire career before being traded in the offseason. He struggled at home last season in 16 games at loanDepot Park, as he was 4-5 with a 4.55 ERA. If he can figure out how to get some zeroes, the Marlins are not too deep of a lineup to go against, so he should be able to do well here.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins have been struggling at the beginning of the season as they are 23rd in the majors with a .647 team OPS and have scored just 1.67 runs per game thus far. Second baseman Luis Arraez has gotten off to a great start at the plate and has a 1.042 OPS with two RBI, two runs scored and two walks to two strikeouts. If Miami can figure out how to score more runs for their pitching staff, they can be a surprising team in a playoff situation.
Jesus Luzardo will get the ball for Miami and needs to continue stepping up throughout the 2023 season. He faced the Twins once in 2021 as a member of the Oakland Athletics, and he picked up a victory as he threw 5.1 shutout innings and allowed a pair of hits with a walk and six strikeouts. If he can provide some quality innings against a formidable lineup, it will put the Marlins in a position to win this game and the series.
Match Details
Fixture: Minnesota Twins @ Miami Marlins
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 5, 1:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida
Minnesota Twins vs. Miami Marlins: Betting Prediction
It will be hard to bank on an offense scoring less than two runs per game this season like the Miami Marlins are because you will not throw shutouts every game. This Twins lineup with Carlos Correa, Joey Gallo and Byron Buxton is challenging to navigate. They also have Pablo Lopez, who is familiar with pitching on this loanDepot Park mound. Thursday’s game for Minnesota is already postponed, so they can navigate their bullpen differently, knowing they have an off day tomorrow. All signs point towards the Minnesota Twins winning the game and taking the series.
