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(MLB) Minnesota vs. Oakland,
Money Line: 105.00 Oakland (Home)
Result: Loss
Money Line: 105.00 Oakland (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: There's talk the contending Minnesota Twins and floundering Oakland Athletics could be trade partners as the teams begin a three-game series Friday night. The 49-51 Twins have played 14 straight games against fellow playoff hopefuls. They are 4-10 in that stretch after suffering a three-game sweep in Los Angeles at the hands of the Dodgers. No team is in greater need of a break in the schedule and the Twins get one. Their next five games are against two of the worst teams in the West. They follow the Oakland trip (A's are 44-58) with a two-game stopover in San Diego (Padres are 45-57 ) and then return home to host struggling Texas (Rangers are 49-52) to begin a six-game homestand. The Twins have fallen six games out in the AL Central and four games out in the wild card chase. As for the 44-58 Oakland A's.....
The pitching matchup: Garcia will be making his Twins debut after having been acquired along with catcher Anthony Recker from the Atlanta Braves for 19-year-old right-hander Huascar Ynoa. He'll go up against Oakland rookie Daniel Gossett (2-5 & 5,40 ERA). Garcia was 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts for the Braves (team was 9-9). Garcia has faced the A's just once in his career, suffering the loss last season while allowing five runs in seven innings (6.43 ERA). Gossett pitched the A's most recent win, a 3-2 road triumph last Sunday against the New York Mets. He has never faced the Twins in his eight career starts.
The pick:The A's wrapped up a seven-game road trip 1-6, after they were swept in the four-game series in Toronto. They blew two ninth-inning leads and lost consecutive games on walk-offs. The team's late-game meltdowns can't be considered a surprise, as the team dealt two of its top relievers -- left-hander Sean Doolittle and righty Ryan Madson -- to Washington for a three-player package that featured two low-level minor-leaguers. Staff ace Sonny Gray could be the next to go. All that said, I want no part of Garcia or the floundering Twins, who are in a complete "free-fall' which should also not be a surprise. After all, the Twins lost a ML-high 103 games last year. Make Oakland a 10* play.
The pitching matchup: Garcia will be making his Twins debut after having been acquired along with catcher Anthony Recker from the Atlanta Braves for 19-year-old right-hander Huascar Ynoa. He'll go up against Oakland rookie Daniel Gossett (2-5 & 5,40 ERA). Garcia was 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts for the Braves (team was 9-9). Garcia has faced the A's just once in his career, suffering the loss last season while allowing five runs in seven innings (6.43 ERA). Gossett pitched the A's most recent win, a 3-2 road triumph last Sunday against the New York Mets. He has never faced the Twins in his eight career starts.
The pick:The A's wrapped up a seven-game road trip 1-6, after they were swept in the four-game series in Toronto. They blew two ninth-inning leads and lost consecutive games on walk-offs. The team's late-game meltdowns can't be considered a surprise, as the team dealt two of its top relievers -- left-hander Sean Doolittle and righty Ryan Madson -- to Washington for a three-player package that featured two low-level minor-leaguers. Staff ace Sonny Gray could be the next to go. All that said, I want no part of Garcia or the floundering Twins, who are in a complete "free-fall' which should also not be a surprise. After all, the Twins lost a ML-high 103 games last year. Make Oakland a 10* play.
