The MLB season is in full swing, and an afternoon matchup between two American League rivals is on the horizon. This article presents a prediction for the Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins game on Thursday, April 3, alongside essential MLB Picks. Both teams have started the season with a 2-4 record. Hunter Brown will take the mound for the Astros, while the Twins will counter with Joe Ryan. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:10 P.M. EST.
Struggles Continue for the Astros
Despite a promising start, the Astros find themselves on a three-game losing streak. After winning two out of three against the Mets in their opening series, they faltered against the Giants, who swept them in a recent series. Over those three games, Houston was outscored 16-6.
In their most recent outing, the Astros lost 6-3 to the Giants on Wednesday, April 2. After giving up an early home run to Wilmer Flores, the Astros attempted to rally in the fifth inning by loading the bases with no outs. Yordan Alvarez contributed with a two-run single, but the Giants managed to escape the situation without further damage. Ultimately, the Astros were unable to recover from their early deficit.
“We’ve faced some strong pitching and need to reduce our strikeouts,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “We’re getting some quality at-bats and finding ourselves in favorable counts. We just need to connect better. Today, we hit some balls hard, but they didn’t find gaps.”
On Thursday, Hunter Brown will take the mound for Houston. The right-handed pitcher is currently 0-1 this season, having thrown 6.0 innings and allowed two runs and four hits in a 3-1 loss to the Mets. Last year, he maintained a 3.49 ERA across 31 starts, though he struggled in afternoon games, posting a 5.19 ERA.
Leading the Astros’ offense is Jose Altuve, who has a .391 batting average through the first six games. Alvarez leads the team with four RBIs, while the Astros have only two home runs, hit by Jeremy Pena and Altuve.
Twins Bounce Back with Strong Win
The Minnesota Twins are also starting the season at 2-4. They faced a challenging start, losing four consecutive games after being swept by the Cardinals in their opening series and dropping Game 1 to the White Sox. However, they managed to secure their first victory with an 8-3 win over Chicago on Tuesday.
Most recently, the Twins defeated the White Sox 6-1 on April 2. Byron Buxton opened the game with a solo home run in the first inning and later added another run. Harrison Bader’s three-run homer proved pivotal in the victory. Starting pitcher Pablo Lopez delivered an impressive performance, pitching 7.0 innings and allowing only one run while striking out five batters.
“You don’t want to delay getting on the board, and it felt great to contribute today,” said Carlos Correa after recording his first hit of the season. “Now, it’s time to build momentum.”
Joe Ryan will take the mound for Minnesota on Thursday. In his previous outing against St. Louis, he pitched 5.0 innings, giving up just one run on five hits but did not earn a decision. Ryan has a 3.91 ERA in home games this season and a 4.05 ERA in daytime games last year.
Willi Castro currently leads the Twins with a .250 batting average, while Harrison Bader is the team’s top run producer with eight RBIs, including three home runs.
Strategic Bets for Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins
The Astros aim to bounce back in this matchup following their sweep by the Giants. This game presents a significant opportunity for them to secure a win. Although Houston’s offense has faced challenges, Yordan Alvarez’s strong performance on Wednesday could provide the needed momentum moving forward. Hunter Brown showed potential in his first outing, though he lacked offensive support. He possesses the skills to perform well against Minnesota, while Joe Ryan had a comparable outing against the Cardinals. With the Astros’ lineup poised to break out, they hold a favorable position in this afternoon face-off.
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For more insights on this game, check out Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins Prediction from Statsalt, our partner site.
