The Minnesota Twins defeated the Houston Astros 3-0 as a sizeable underdog in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field. I would not be the least bit surprised if they record another upset tonight as they seek to overtake the Texas Rangers for the last Wild Card spot in the American League, currently sitting just 0.5 games behind, while the Astros are sitting pretty at the top of the AL West.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Mike Fiers (6-9, 3.63 ERA) who's off a complete game no-hitter against the Dodgers home at Texas his last start. Can he really follow that up with another stellar outing after that 134 pitch performance though? A sense of accomplishment might sneak in and the Twins' red hot bats will be ready to pounce on any sign of weakness. The Twins will counter with Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.69 ERA) who's allowed a total of four runs on 14 hits and two walks over 10 innings over his last two starts, both on the road. He'll be excited to be back at Target Field where he's 4-2 behind a 1.97 ERA in 11 starts for the season and he's done reasonably well against the Astros in his career with a 3-2 record behind a 3.35 ERA in six starts.

2. Barking Dogs - The Astros are just 6-21 in their last 27 games as a road favorite while the Twins have won seven of their last eight as an underdog. They've won five straight against right-handed starters.

3. X-Factor - Eduardo Escobar is 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk in previous meetings with Fiers. He's 7-for- 15 with a pair of doubles and two homers over his last four games.

Selection: This is a play on the Minnesota Twins +1.5 (10*)