Friday MLB Betting Preview: Tribe Face Twins

American League Central foes meet up for the start of a weekend series Friday night as the first-place Minnesota Twins look to keep the Cleveland Indians at bay.

In Friday’s series opener Carlos Carrasco (6-3, 3.36) will get the start for Cleveland and Nik Turley (0-0, 9.00) will toe the rubber for Minnesota.

Carrasco picked up a win over the Chicago White Sox in his last start after allowing two runs on seven hits over five innings. This will be his first start of the season against the Twins, but in his career against Minnesota he is 2-6 with a 4.74 ERA in 14 games.

Turley will be making only his second Major League start. In his debut against the San Francisco Giants he lasted four innings after allowing four runs on eight hits.

In six games between Minnesota and Cleveland this season the Indians hold the lead at 4-2, which includes a three-game sweep in Minnesota in April. In their last 10 games at Target Field the Indians are 8-2.

Shifting to the National League two teams headed in opposite directions clash Friday night when the Cincinnati Reds play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers had won six straight heading into Thursday night’s action, while the Reds were on a six-game losing streak. All six losses came on the road, and the Reds have actually won four in a row at home.

Los Angeles will start Alex Wood (6-0, 2.01) and Cincinnati will go with Tim Adleman (4-2, 4.34). Wood faced the Reds in his last start and allowed three runs on five hits over 5 2-3 innings in a no decision. Adleman faced the Dodgers last time out and also came away with a no decision after surrendering three runs on five hits in five innings.

The top pitching matchup on Friday could be in the Washington Nationals at the New York Mets matchup, where Nationals ace Max Scherzer (7-4, 2.36) will take on the Mets’ Steven Matz (1-0, 1.29).

Scherzer is coming off a loss against the Texas Rangers in which he gave up three runs in 7 1-3 innings with 10 strikeouts. In his last four starts he’s racked up 48 strikeouts in 32 innings. In his last start against the Mets in late April Scherzer had some trouble and took the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits over six innings.

Matz made his season debut last week after starting the season on the DL. He secured a win against the Atlanta Braves after allowing only one run over seven strong innings.

Washington is 4-2 versus the Mets this season, but entered the series opener on Thursday having lost five of their last six overall.