A's beat Twins 4-2, split series finale
Gage Jump struck out nine and Carlos Cortes homered as the Athletics beat the Twins 4-2 Tuesday, a night after Minnesota won 9-6 at Sutter Health Park.
Cortes and Jump answer the Twins
Twins6-9Twins4-2Carlos Cortes went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and Gage Jump worked 6.1 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs while striking out nine, as the Athletics beat the Twins 4-2 on August 25 to salvage a split at Sutter Health Park. It came a day after Minnesota beat the A's 6-9 in the series opener.
The win moved the Athletics to 3-2 in their last five games, a stretch that also included two straight wins over the Astros sandwiched around an opening loss in Houston. Oakland sits 52-81, 14.5 games back in the AL West and tied with the Angels for last place, with an elimination number of 16.
Recent News
The Athletics transferred shortstop Jacob Wilson (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, per the club. It's the clearest signal yet that his season is over, and it leaves Oakland without its regular shortstop for the stretch run.
Oakland also claimed reliever Chris Roycroft on August 25, per MLB Trade Rumors, adding bullpen depth for the final weeks. On the mend, Jose Suarez (hip) threw around 20 pitches in a live batting practice session Tuesday and could be activated as early as Friday, per MLB.com.
Upcoming
J.T. Ginn (8-8, 3.60 ERA) starts for the Athletics against Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.57 ERA) as the Athletics host the Twins tonight. Ginn's last start was a loss to the Astros in which he allowed three earned runs over five innings, while Prielipp gave up six earned runs over six innings in a loss to the Padres in his last outing.
Minnesota is favored, and the market expects a high-scoring game given both starters' recent struggles on the mound. For the Athletics to cover, they'll need Ginn to find the form that's carried him to eight wins this season while the bullpen holds up behind him.