MLB Predictions Preview …The Minnesota Twins, who suddenly find themselves back atop the AL Central Division standings after four straight wins, will shoot for their fifth win in a row when they play the Los Angeles Angels at Angels Stadium in Anaheim tonight. The Twins will give the ball to right hand pitcher Nick Blackburn (9-7, 3.71 ERA) in this game. The Angels plan to start Jon Garland (11-8, 4.33 ERA) with hopes the right hander can get the slumping Angels back on a winning track.
MLB Predictions Betting Line … Oddsmakers at online sports betting giant Bodog (Bodoglife.com) currently have the Angels listed as -135 money line favorites while the betting total is holding at 9-runs. The Twins are getting +125 money line odds as a road underdog.
Blackburn allowed a leadoff homer in his second consecutive game. On Monday against Oakland, Mark Ellis hit Blackburn's first pitch out of the park as the A's won, 3-2. Blackburn allowed three earned runs in eight innings of work. Blackburn next gets the Angels. He was a tough-luck loser on April 2 against them, allowing only one run over seven innings in a 1-0 Twins loss.
The long ball was Garland's undoing against the Rays on Monday night in St. Petersburg. A pair of two-run blasts, by Eric Hinske and Cliff Floyd, tagged the right-hander with a loss even though he pitched tenaciously the rest of the way, yielding five runs (four earned) in six innings on 10 hits and two walks. Garland beat the Twins in his only start against them this year, holding them to one earned run in eight innings, and he's 8-8 lifetime with a 4.40 ERA.
The Twins won their second straight with a convincing 9-0 win over the Angels last time out. The Twins won that game as +165 underdogs, while the nine runs made it OVER the posted over/under (8.5).
Denard Span belted a three-run homer and finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs for the Twins. Glen Perkins improved to 11-3 with the five-hit shutout victory.
Joe Saunders was tagged for six runs off nine hits in 5 1-3 innings on the mound for the Angels, who were favored at -185 in that game.
MLB Prediction …UNDER 9
