Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels 8/14/22 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Minnesota Twins will close out a three-game series on the road at Angel Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels. The Twins bounced back from three straight losses to get a 4-0 win in the series opener, improving to 58-53 on the season and closing the gap in the AL Central to just one game. The Angels have had one of the most disappointing seasons in the MLB, trailing the AL West by 23.5 games at 49-64 despite having two of the most talented players in the league.

Los Angeles has had some struggles offensively averaging 3.85 runs per game which ranks 25th in the league in scoring offense. Shohei Ohtani leads the way with another fantastic season leading the team with 25 home runs and 66 RBIs. Mike Trout will miss this game due to his back injury, and has continued to miss time but is one of the best players in baseball when he’s out there.

The left-handed Tucker Davidson will get the start for the Angels and hope to improve on his 1-3 record and 7.91 ERA in 19.1 innings this season. Davidson was traded right before the deadline and has appeared in just five games this season, he allowed six runs on six hits and walked five, and struck out just one. Davidson has walked 18 and struck out 11 in his 19.1 innings of work this season. 

Minnesota is just outside the top-10 in the MLB in scoring offense, they’re averaging 4.50 runs per game which is 11th in the MLB. Center fielder Byron Buxton has led the way with 27 home runs, while first baseman Luis Arraez is hitting .332 on the year. It’s a solid lineup across the board and this team could make noise if they manage to get into the postseason.

The right-handed Chris Archer will get the ball for the Twins, he’s had a solid season going 2-5 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.29 WHIP since being picked up by the Twins this season. Archer is an aging arm, but he’s been a solid member of the rotation and is coming off a solid start where he allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four, but the Twins lost 3-2 to the Blue Jays.