by Chuck Sommers
Sunday, Sep 12, 2021
Game time: 2:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Where to watch: Bally Sports North, YES, MLB Network
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Yankees -150, Twins +130
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: NL
Season record (entering Sunday)
Twins: 63-79 (Last place, AL Central)
Yankees: 79-63 (3rd place, AL East)
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Twins - Yankees preview and analysis
Recent form
Twins: 5-5 in last 10
Yankees: 3-7 in last 10
The New York Yankees have finally found what it takes to win a game in Major League Baseball.
The Yankees ended their seven-game losing streak Saturday against the New York Mets to keep pace in the American League Wild Card race.
But once the Subway Series concludes Sunday, the Yankees will return to Yankee Stadium and take on the Minnesota Twins for a one-off matchup. This is a makeup game from Aug. 22 that was postponed due to weather.
The win on Saturday ensured the Yankees are not on the outside looking in of the playoff race as of Sunday. Thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays taking both games of their doubleheader against the Batlimore Orioles on Saturday, Toronto and New York are deadlocked at 79-63 with 20 games remaining. The Blue Jays, at time of publishing, are wrapping up their four-game series with Baltimore on Sunday.
Aaron Judge, who has been the Yankees’ best hitter for the last month and a half, homered twice on Saturday, including a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to give the Yankees a chance at the end.
“It’s been a struggle sometimes for us, getting that final hit to put us over the hump, but it was a huge night by Aaron,” said manager Aaron Boone. “Just a special night by a great player. It definitely feels good to hear some noise in that clubhouse postgame.”
Gleyber Torres, Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton also had two-hit games to pace the Yankees’ bats, whose eight runs were the most they’ve scored in a week. New York is also in the process of trying to catch the Boston Red Sox, who hold home-field advantage for the wild card match by one game on the Yankees and Blue Jays.
Barring a collapse from the Tampa Bay Rays, no one’s catching them in the American League East.
The Twins are coming off a five-homer game on Saturday, two from Jorge Polanco, for a 9-2 win over the Kansas City Royals in the second game of their three-game set. Following the one-off against the Bronx Bombers, Minnesota will return to Target Field for three against the Cleveland Indians.
“I think we got some pitches out over the plate and really didn’t miss our opportunities,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “It’s not the way we do it every night. We’ve been having good at-bats as a whole. It’s a fun way to win and it’s kind of an explosive way to win. The dugout really gets going and enjoys it, too, when you do it like this.”
The Twins entered Sunday winners of five of seven but remain in last place in the American League Central.
At the time of publishing, the Yankees have not named a starting pitcher. Minnesota will send starter John Gant to the mound. The 29-year-old is 5-9 with a 3.78 ERA and a WHIP of 1.47 on the season.
Prediction
Despite being in last place, the Twins have played good teams well in stints. But considering this is a one-game event, and travel is a factor, the Yankees should feel rested after coming home from Citi Field. We like the Yankees to win this one and try to get back on track.
Betting trends
The Twins are 13-12 when an underdog between +125 and +175. As a road dog, Minnesota is 8-7 (+3.8 games on the moneyline) when the line is +125 and +175.
As a favorite of -150 or more, the Yankees are 37-25 (-14.6 games on the money line).
Players to watch
Yankees: More of a deep dive on how good Judge has been: In his last 20 games, Judge has batted .346 to go with six homers and 16 RBI. His .384 OBP is top-10 in the league over that stretch.
Twins: Josh Donaldson has shown flashes of the guy that was once MVP of the league. Donaldson has hit .260 with 13 RBI since Aug. 20.
Projected lineup
Twins:
Byron Buxton (R) CF
Rob Refsnyder (R) RF
Luis Arraez (L) 2B
Josh Donaldson (R) 3B
Miguel Sano (R) DH
Brent Rooker (R) LF
Ryan Jeffers (R) C
Willians Astudillo (R) 1B
Andrelton Simmons (R) SS
Yankees:
Brett Gardner (L) CF
Aaron Judge (R) RF
Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
Gleyber Torres (R) SS
Joey Gallo (L) LF
Gary Sanchez (R) C
Tyler Wade (L) 2B
Gio Urshela (R) 3B
Probable starting pitchers: John Gant (MIN) vs. TBD (NYY)
Statistical leaders
Twins:
Batting average: Jorge Polanco (.280)
Hits: Jorge Polanco (145)
Home runs: Jorge Polanco (29)
RBI: Jorge Polanco (86)
Stolen bases: Jorge Polanco
Wins: Kenta Maeda (6)
Saves: Alex Colome (13)
ERA: N/A
Yankees:
Batting Average: Aaron Judge (.294)
Hits: DJ LeMahieu (144)
Home Runs: Aaron Judge (32)
RBI: Aaron Judge (79)
Stolen Bases: Tyler Wade (13)
Wins: Gerrit Cole (14)
Saves: Aroldis Chapman (26)
ERA: Gerrit Cole (2.78)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
