Athletics at Twins
A pair of American League contenders heading in opposite directions meet Thursday in Minnesota as the host Twins begin a four-game series with the streaking Oakland Athletics. The Twins have dropped three straight and nine of 15 to watch their lead in the American League Central shrink to four games over Cleveland.
They suffered just their third double-digit loss of the year with Wednesday's 14-4 setback to the New York Mets. "We were in a good spot, and then the wheels kind of fell off in a few different ways," manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters after his team gave up 12 runs over the final three innings. Oakland rides into town with a six-game winning streak, during which it has averaged 7.8 runs per game. It clubbed six home runs to back newcomer Homer Bailey in a 10-2 victory over Seattle on Wednesday, pulling within 4 1/2 games of first-place Houston in the AL West.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Mike Fiers (9-3, 3.61 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (8-4, 4.03)
Beginning with the no-hitter he threw May 7 against Cincinnati, Fiers is 7-0 with a 2.09 ERA over his last 12 starts. His latest gem saw him scatter eight hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings in a win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday. He limited the Twins to two runs (one earned) in six frames prior to the All-Star break and is 6-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 12 career meetings.
Gibson came out of the break and had his second-shortest start of the year, a 3 2/3-inning effort at Cleveland in which he was reached for three runs (one earned). He has just one quality start over his last six appearances - one of which came in relief - but it was at Oakland on July 3. Ramon Laureano is 4-for-5 with a home run and a double against the 31-year-old Gibson, who has a 3.81 ERA in five career starts versus the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Laureano is 12-for-25 with five home runs over his last seven games.
2. Twins SS Jorge Polanco is 1-for-13 over his last three games to drop his average to .307.
3. Oakland LF Khris Davis, who hit at least 42 home runs each of the last three years, has gone 19 straight games without one and owns just six since the end of April.