The Minnesota Twins are set to welcome the Miami Marlins on Tuesday evening, marking the start of a three-game series at Target Field.
Miami enters the matchup with a 19-22 record, placing them third in the NL East, while Minnesota sits at 18-23, good for fifth in the AL Central. The Twins have struggled at home, but they hold a 10-10 record in Minneapolis. When the Twins hit two or more home runs, they boast a 7-4 record. The Marlins, on the other hand, are 5-10 on the road but have been effective when scoring at least five runs, posting an 11-5 mark in such contests.
Tuesday’s game is the first meeting between these two clubs this season.
On the mound, the Marlins will send right-hander Eury Perez to the hill. Perez enters with a 2-4 record, a 5.01 ERA, a 1.43 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts. The Twins counter with righty Bailey Ober, who is 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts. The betting line favors the Twins at -115, with the Marlins at -104, and the over/under is set at 9 runs.
**Key Players to Watch:**
For the Twins, outfielder Byron Buxton leads the team with 13 home runs and a slugging percentage of .556. Catcher Ryan Jeffers has been hot recently, going 13-for-37 over his last 10 games with two homers and seven RBIs.
The Marlins’ top performer is infielder Liam Hicks, who is batting .308 with nine home runs, 11 walks, and 35 RBIs. Infielder Otto Lopez has also been productive, recording 17 hits in his last 42 at-bats, including four doubles, a home run, and five RBIs.
**Recent Form:**
The Twins have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, batting .250 with a 5.26 ERA, while being outscored by 11 runs. The Marlins are 4-6 over the same stretch, hitting .239 with a 4.50 ERA, and have been outscored by four runs.
**Injury Report:**
The Twins have several players on the injured list: right-handers Cody Laweryson (15-day, forearm), Taj Bradley (15-day, pectoral), Cole Sands (15-day, forearm), Garrett Acton (15-day, shoulder), David Festa (60-day, shoulder), Mick Abel (15-day, elbow), and Pablo Lopez (60-day, elbow).
For the Marlins, outfielders Griffin Conine (10-day, hamstring), Pete Fairbanks (15-day, thumb), Ronny Henriquez (60-day, elbow), and Adam Mazur (60-day, elbow) are all sidelined.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
