The Athletics are dealing with a rash of injuries that's gutted the middle of their lineup and rotation. Nick Kurtz is working his way back from a thumb issue, Brent Rooker is done for the year after a knee procedure, and J.T. Ginn just landed on the IL with a blister. Minnesota's issues are mostly on the mound — Pablo Lopez, David Festa and Mick Abel are all out for extended stretches — but their lineup is intact, and that's the difference-maker here.
Momentum matters in a long season, and right now it's all pointing one direction. Minnesota's coming off back-to-back wins over Cleveland to close a road trip, including a 10-6 slugfest and a tighter 3-1 finish. Oakland limps in having dropped 4 of its last 5, capped by a brutal stretch in Arizona that included a 5-15 blowout loss.
Shea Langeliers remains the one bat in Oakland's lineup that can change a game by himself, and Zack Gelof's absence with a knee injury only makes the Athletics more dependent on him to carry the offense. That's a lot to ask against a Twins team that's starting to find its rhythm at home.
At 43-59, Oakland's season is about evaluation at this point, not contention. Minnesota's 51-53 mark keeps them in the wild-card conversation if they can string together weeks like this one. A series win here does more for the Twins' outlook than it does anything for the Athletics, who just need bodies to stay healthy through August.