The Cleveland Guardians (70-65) face the Minnesota Twins (69-67) in a crucial three-game series opener at Target Field, with first pitch at 8:10 p.m. This matchup has major AL Central implications, as Cleveland leads Minnesota by just 1.5 games.

Pitching Matchup:

• Guardians: Cal Quantrill (11-5, 3.55 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
• Twins: Dylan Bundy (8-6, 4.34 ERA, 1.22 WHIP)

Betting Lines:

• Guardians (-113) favorites
• Twins (+105) underdogs
• Run line: Minnesota +1.5 (-193)
• Over/Under: 7.5 runs

Key Stats:

• Guardians are 3-7 in their last 10 games
• Twins are 40-29 at home this season
• Josh Naylor hitting .300/.364/.500 in past week
• Carlos Correa batting .271/.351/.445 with 18 HRs

Series Impact: The Guardians aim to expand their slim division lead with 27 games remaining. The Twins have 14 games left against division rivals Cleveland and Chicago, giving them control of their playoff destiny.

Outlook: Despite Cleveland's recent struggles (7-13 in last 20 at Target Field) and Minnesota's strong home record, Quantrill's recent form (3 runs in last 16 innings) gives the Guardians a solid chance to win the opener.

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