The Minnesota Twins have won just four games since the All Star break but are nevertheless still holding down the second wild card in the AL. They need to pick up pace badly though, and a good start would be to claim tonight's game 3 of a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners after splitting the first two in the series.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Mariners hand the ball to Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.20 ERA) who's 0-2 with a 7.08 ERA in his last four starts. He's performed better both at home and in the day than an on the road and during the night this season and is likely to struggle here at Target Field. The Twins will counter with Kyle Gibson (8-8, 3.48) who'll be looking to bounce back from two atrocious outings allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 16 hits over 10 1/3 innings of work. He had recorded four straight wins prior to the slide though and is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA in four career starts against Seattle.

2. Reliable Favorites - The Twins have won each of their last five games as a favorite of -110 to -150 and they're 9-1 in Gibson's last 10 starts against a team with a losing record.

3. X-Factor - Minnesota is 33-21 home at Target Field for the year.

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