Minnesota Twins vs Houston Astros Prediction: A crucial matchup for the two sides here

On Tuesday, the Major League Baseball playoffs continue at Target Field with a matchup between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins. This will be Game 3 of a postseason division series that will consist of a best-of-five format. The Houston Astros won the first game of the series by a score of two runs, while the Minnesota Twins won the second game by a score of four runs to tie the series.

The Minnesota Twins scored all of their runs in the first game of this series on Saturday thanks to a pair of home runs: one was hit by Jorge Polanco (two hits; three RBI), while the other was hit by Royce Lewis (single). Carlos Correa had three hits and three runs batted in for the Minnesota Twins during their performance in Game 2 on Sunday. In addition, Kyle Farmer hit a home run that drove in two runs. Pablo Lopez, the starter, finished with seven scoreless innings, six hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. On Tuesday, Game 3 between the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians will feature Sonny Gray as the starting pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. Gray made 32 starts this year and finished with an 8-8 record and a 2.79 earned run average. Gray already has a victory under his belt for this year's postseason after tossing 5.0 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays while striking out six batters.

Back on Saturday, when Game 1 of the Division Series was being played, the Houston Astros got on the board first. The Houston Astros were able to pull out a victory by scoring twice in both the third and fifth innings, giving them a final score of 6-4. During a productive game, Jordan Alvarez ended with a total of two hits, three runs, two home runs, and three RBI. In Game 2, Houston was trailing by a score of 6-0 before the end of the seventh inning and ultimately lost the game by a score of 6-2. However, Alvarez was able to keep his hitting streak alive by hitting a home run that drove in two runs. In the third and deciding game of the series, which will take place on Tuesday, the Houston Astros will start Cristian Javier. In 31 starts this season, Javier compiled a record of 10-5 with a 4.56 earned run average. Javier has played in a total of 14 playoff games (two of which he started), compiling a record of 4-1 with a 2.20 earned run average.

In this particular contest, I'm going to take a chance on the Minnesota Twins, but it's possible to argue either side of the issue. Gray had a solid end to the season, posting only two earned runs over his last three starts while allowing 12 hits, only one walk, and a total of 17.0 innings pitched. Gray also had a successful outing on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched five innings, allowed zero earned runs, walked two batters, struck out six, and allowed five hits. Gray's team won the game. In his previous three starts, Javier has thrown 15.2 innings, allowing four runs (two of which were earned), and he has a record of 1-1 during this span. If both starts are playing, I anticipate that this match will be a close one with few goals scored. The Minnesota Twins have conceded two runs or fewer in three of the four games they've played so far in the postseason, and I believe they will be able to power out another win tonight to seize the lead in the series once again.