The Twins bats exploded for 13 runs in a blowout victory over the White Sox in the series opener last night, and that shouldn't really be much of a surprise. After all, the Twins are 24-14 at home, and just 3.5 games out of first place in the AL Central, while Chicago is in last place, and has a record of 12-24 on the road. The only surprise is, why is it so cheap to back the Twins?

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Mike Pelfrey will get the nod for the Twins, and he's having himself a fantastic season so far. Pelfrey (5-3, 2.97 ERA) gave up one run on four hits over eight innings in a home win over the Cardinals in his most recent appearance. He tossed eight scoreless innings in a win over the Brewers in his previous start at Target Field, and he's 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA in six home starts this season. The White Sox counter with Jeff Samardzija, who is win-less in his last five starts.

2. Chicago's Bats - The White Sox have scored the fewest runs of any team in the American League, and only the Phillies have scored fewer runs in the majors.

3. X-Factor - Samardzija is just 1-3 with a 5.71 ERA in eight appearances on the road this season. This isn't a great match-up for him, facing a Twins lineup that has scored a major league best 112 runs versus left-handed pitching.

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins (10*)