The Minnesota Twins just won’t go away. They closed the first half by winning six of their last seven games and entered the break with the second-best record in the American League. They look for their first road series win since late May when they battle the Athletics.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Unfortunately for the Twins division rival Kansas City had the best mark in the AL at the break and the Twins start the second half 4.5 games off the lead. The Twins are the most profitable AL team, up 17.6 units on the moneyline overall, but are just 18-24 on the road and haven’t won a road series in their last six tries. The A’s have been horrible at home, going 18-26 in the red 16.53 units over the first half, and look to build off a pair of wins at Cleveland to close the first half. Minnesota won three of four when the teams met in early May, up 2.36 units, and scored 27 runs in their victories, including a 13-0 drubbing in a game started by Scott Kazmir.
PITCHING MATCHUP
After a slow start to the season, Phil Hughes (8-6, 4.32 ERA) finished off the first half strong, going 4-0 with a 3.18 ERA over his last five outings. He had his worst outing during that stretch giving up four runs and eight hits over five innings against Detroit last Saturday, but survived for the win. He’s been bitten by the long ball, surrendering an AL-high 22 with five coming in his last three starts.
Hughes gave up nine hits and five earned in six innings getting an 8-7 win over the A’s on May 4 and he has a career 2.30 ERA over 27.1 innings of five appearances in Oakland.
Scott Kazmir (5-5, 2.49 ERA) left his July 8 start against the Yankees after three innings with tightness in his triceps, but he’ll pitch against the Twins. The lefty tossed eight shutout innings in a win over the Mariners in his previous start and could be auditioning for a new club as its likely the A’s move him at the deadline.
Kazmir took the loss giving up six runs and two homers in his least effective start of the year on May 6 in Minnesota. He’s been solid at O.co Coliseum with a 1.40 ERA and 0.94 WHIP and hasn’t surrendered a home run over 57.2 innings.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I tell you what, a lot of those critics can eat their words. We went out and proved a lot of people wrong. It was just sheer will to go out there and grind every day and prove people wrong. We’re a winning ballclub, and now we’re starting to believe that and we’re more consistent about it.” – Twins outfielder Torii Hunter
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Twins have something the Athletics don’t. Actually they have a lot of things the A’s don’t, but were talking about All-Star closer Glenn Perkins, who finished the first half with an American League high 28 saves and is a big reason why the Twins are breathing down the backs of the Royals in the AL Central. Perkins is the only closer in the majors with at least 20 saves to be perfect in his opportunities. Perkins owns a 1.21 ERA and 0.83 WHIP over his 37.1 innings of work and is just one save off the Major League lead. Meanwhile Tyler Clippard has pitched better to help stabilize a volatile A’s bullpen that still has the second-highest ERA in the AL, lost 17 games and blown 12 saves. With the A’s planning on a four-man rotation out of the gate in the second half, the pen better be ready to log some innings, and that could be bad.
PROP TALK
The Athletics don’t have a lot of power in their lineup, but they have enough to do some damage to Phil Hughes, who leads the American League with 22 home runs surrendered this year. Stephen Vogt and Josh Reddick are the big thumpers in the lineup and the A’s have six players with at least seven home runs through the first half. Hughes has given up at least one homer in each of his last seven starts and 15 of 18 overall. Vogt and Mark Canha took Hughes deep when the teams played in Target Field in May.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Twins are maybe a bigger surprise than the Astros in the American League and their record proves that. I’m sure there weren’t many who predicted Minnesota to have the second-best record in the AL and in contention in the Central at the break, but there they are. Now comes the hard part for the Twins – trying to maintain that level of play in the second half when the games start to mean a little more. At least they open the second half against an A’s club that has struggled at home and has to be wondering who will pack their bags at the trade deadline.
Minnesota 4, Oakland 3
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