Phil Hughes (0-4, 4.55 ERA) and Jesse Hahn (1-1, 2.86 ERA) are on the hill in the first of a four-game series between the Minnesota Twins (13-12) and the Oakland Athletics (11-15) at Target Field. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Monday, May. 4 and can be seen on CSN-CA and FSN-N.
Hughes is 4-2 with a 4.20 ERA in his appearances against the Athletics, and goes up against a good Oakland offense which is batting .266 this season. Trevor Plouffe (.278, 12 Rs, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 3 for 5 with two runs, one home run, and five RBIs. When pitching against the Twins, Hahn is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and three strikeouts. Josh Reddick (.391, 12 Rs, 4 HRs, 20 RBIs, 2 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Athletics, going 2 for 4 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and two RBIs.
Oakland is a slim -110 favorite over Minnesota. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of eight runs. The Twins have an overall money line of +372 and a record as the underdog of 11-10. Minnesota has gone 5-2 in its last 10 as underdog. The Twins have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.7 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.2 runs per game. Turning to the pitchers, the Twins are the second-best team in the AL at limiting walks during home games, allowing only 2.3 walks per game to their opponents this season.
In the other locker room, Oakland is coming in with an overall money line of -781 and a disappointing record of 5-11as the favorite. They played poorly as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 2-6 record, and a 3-7 record SU. The Athletics are tough outs for opponents, ranking third in the AL with 9.3 hits per game. Oakland is excellent at not striking out with just 6.4 per game, ranking second in the AL.
The Twins have a 6-7 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Hahn takes the mound. Hughes (RHP) will be on the hill against the Athletics, who have a 9-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – OAK, O/U – Over
Notes
Minnesota has won 17% (1-5) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Oakland has won 31% (5-11) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Twins are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded four strikeouts. The Athletics have a record of 4-1 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Twins are 2-11. The Athletics have a 2-10 record when opponents outhit them.
Minnesota ranks near the bottom of the league at 25th when it comes to home runs, hitting 16 this season. Oakland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 23.
Ranking eighth, Minnesota is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.33 per game. Oakland ranks in the top five at third with 9.28.
Ranking 21st, Minnesota is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.674). Oakland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with an OPS of .733.
When the Athletics allow at least one home run, they are 2-10. When the Twins allow one or more homers, they have a 5-10 record.
