MLB Baseball
2025-08-13 - Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Baseball
Wednesday 13th August 2025 - Scheduled 7:05pm
12:05am (British Time)
Preview
Despite looking like a team that had given up on the 2025 season when trading away key players ahead of the deadline, the Minnesota Twins (56-63) deserve some credit for the fight and character that is still being shown by the team. Losing two games against the New York Yankees (64-56) will hurt though, especially if there were still some faint hopes of a Playoff push, and the Twins conclude this series looking to salvage something.
An inconsistent Yankees team will be very keen on completing the sweep to try and build some momentum though and they are going to be involved in a big fight to merely make the post-season. The two wins has left the Yankees clinging onto one of the Wild Card spots, but more is expected from the Bronx Bombers.
They will give the ball to Cam Schlittler who has a 1-2 record and 4.38 ERA in five starts made in what is his rookie season in the Major League. He has not earned the decision win in any of his last four starts, although the two made in August have been decent enough showings with Schlittler giving up four runs in 10 Innings thrown.
Cam Schlittler will point to having a bit more command in his last start as he reduced the number of walks offered out to just one, while also throwing the most pitches in a single outing.
He is facing the Minnesota Twins for the first time and the Yankees will need to find a way to offer the rookie some run support.
They are facing a pitcher who was surprisingly retained by the Minnesota Twins considering they looked like a team thinking ahead to the future. Joe Ryan has an 11-5 record and 2.79 ERA in twenty-three appearances for the Twins this season and twenty-two have been in starts, which would have made him an intriguing acquisition for contenders throughout the Major League.
He was knocked around by the Washington Nationals at the end of July when allowing four runs in 5 Innings thrown, but that has been the exception to the standard Joe Ryan has produced of late. In his last eight starts, seven have ended with Ryan allowing less than three runs and that will always give the Minnesota Twins a chance of winning games.
Instead the Twins are just 4-4 outright in those eight starts, despite the foundation laid by Joe Ryan.
The pitcher will be facing the New York Yankees for the first time this season and the first time since allowing four runs in a little over 5 Innings throw in May 2024 when Joe Ryan had to take the decision loss.
New York have dominated the Minnesota Twins in recent years and the Yankees have won the last nine between the teams. In the two games played in this series, the Yankees have an 16-3 run advantage.
Prediction
There is an edge in terms of the pitching quality in favour of the road team to open this game, but rookie Cam Schlittler should be able to keep the New York Yankees close enough to attack Joe Ryan.
It is an opponent the Yankees continue to dominate and the batting lineup have been in strong shape through the first two games.
Bullpen issues have been affecting the Twins of late and that may be where the home team can make hay and ultimately earn the victory and sweep.
The Pick :
New York Yankees 4-3 Minnesota Twins
