Minnesota @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2011 ) Minnesota 9, Oakland 5
THE STORY: The Oakland Athletics' offense continues to sizzle, but their pitching staff failed to hold up its end of the bargain for a second straight time in a 9-5 defeat Friday. Oakland has scored at least five runs in six consecutive games and eight of its last nine. The Minnesota Twins, who have won three of their last four games, continue their 10-game road trip Saturday with the second of their three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.
TV: 9:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Nick Blackburn (7-7, 4.21 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Guillermo Moscoso (3-5, 3.47 ERA).
Blackburn was battered in his last outing, allowing nine runs - six earned - and 11 hits in just 2 2/3 innings at Texas on Monday. The 29-year-old, who has won only one of his last seven starts, is 1-5 in nine career meetings with the Athletics. The victory came at Oakland on May 19, when he yielded one run over seven frames. Moscoso is coming off back-to-back rough outings since being recalled from the minors. He has surrendered 11 earned runs over 9 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old had allowed a total of one earned run in 24 2/3 frames over his previous four starts. Moscoso, who has won once since May 29, will be facing Minnesota for the first time in his career.
ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (47-59): Oakland has recorded at least eight hits in each of its 14 games since the All-Star break and is hitting .312 (152-for-487) during that stretch. The Oakland record is 15 straight, set Sept. 12-27, 1980. The Athletics' streak of consecutive games with fewer than three home runs reached 77 on Friday despite Josh Willingham's 10th career two-homer performance and first since Aug. 25, 2009. Willingham matched a season high with five RBIs.
ABOUT THE TWINS (50-56): Joe Mauer surpassed Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett for seventh place on the franchise list by drawing his 451st walk Friday. Jim Thome was kept out of the lineup as the Twins faced lefthander Gio Gonzalez. The slugger is two walks shy of tying Mel Ott (1,708) for eighth on the all-time list. Thome also is two RBIs from pulling even with Tony Perez (1,752) for 27th.
FINAL PITCH: Oakland's Hideki Matsui continued his torrid pace by going 3-for-4 on Friday. Matsui is hitting .462 (24-for-52) with 17 RBIs since the All-Star break.