Minnesota Twins at Seattle Mariners 6/14/21 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Minnesota Twins will travel on the road to T-Mobile Park to open a series with the struggling Seattle Mariners. Minnesota has had a very disappointing start to their season and dropped the finale of the series against the Astros 14-3, dropping to 25-38 which is one of the worst records in baseball. Seattle avoided a sweep with a 6-2 win in game three, snapping a three-game losing streak and improving 32-35 which is 7 games back in the AL West.

The Twins have actually been a solid team at the plate hitting .244 as a team that ranks 8th in the MLB in team batting average and ranking twelfth in scoring offense averaging 4.62 runs per game. The 43-year-old Nelson Cruz has continued to produce, leading the Twins with 13 home runs and in batting average hitting .288. First baseman Miguel Sano is hitting a dismal .185 but is tied for the team lead with 13 home runs and has a team-high 32 RBIs. 

Minnesota will hope to get a better start from Kenta Maeda who has struggled to a start this season going 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA. He allowed three runs on three hits and issued a single walk in 5 innings outings against the Indians, it’s been a terrible first 9 pointing, especially coming off a season where Maeda was 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA. 

Seattle has been one of, if not the, worst offense in the MLB this season hitting .207 as a team that ranks last in the league, and they’re averaging just 3.86 runs per game which ranks 26th in scoring offense. Right fielder Mitch Haniger has been a solid power bat in the lineup hitting .259 with 16 home runs and 40 RBIs. Third baseman Kyle Seager has also continued to produce as a 33-year-old coming in leading the Mariners with a team-high 40 RBIs and is second with 13 home runs. 

The left-handed Marco Gonzalez has also struggled this seasons and comes into this start 1-4 with a 5.45 ERA; he’s been able to work through just 4 innings in his last two starts allowing a combined 7 hits and 5 runs while striking out eight and walking two; Seattle lost both of those games. Gonzalez had three strong seasons for the Mariners coming into this season but is coming in well above his career 4.18 ERA.