Pittsburgh Pirates vs Minnesota Twins Prediction: Expect many runs in this encounter

PNC Park will host the MLB on Friday between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Minnesota Twins. This will be the first game of a three-game series. Which team draws the first blood?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning two of those matches. In games one and two, this team pulled off 1-0 and 10-6 wins but then struggled in game 3, losing 7-11. However, their prior series to that of the Dodgers saw Pittsburgh Pirates lose to the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. This season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a 29-33 record and are seated 11th in the National League standings. 

On the mound in this opener, the Pittsburgh Pirates will send Mitch Keller. This season, Mitch Kelle has a 7-3 record with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP over 73.2 innings pitched. Keller has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five straight starts and has gone at least six innings in all five outings.

The Minnesota Twins head to this series following a defeat to New York Yankees. In that series, the Minnesota Twins failed to pick a single win, scoring 11 runs but conceding 22. However, the prior series saw the Minnesota Twins defeat the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Texas Rangers. This season, the Minnesota Twins have a 33-29 record in the MLB, which puts them 6th in the American League standings. 

Joe Ryan is expected to get the nod for the Minnesota Twins on the mound in this opener. This year, Joe Ryan has a 4-4 record with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over 72.0 innings pitched. Ryan has allowed one earned run or fewer in three of his last five starts but has allowed nine earned runs in the other two outings against Houston and the Yankees. 

This is going to be a quality-pitched encounter, and we can expect the two of them to maintain their quality here. However, while this should be an offensive game, we can be sure this will be a high-line encounter. Also, Keller is having a better season on the mound, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are improving week in and week out. However, with the Twins coming off a sweep loss, they will look to do better, but at home, the Pittsburgh Pirates should have the edge.