In the thick of the American League Wild Card race, the Minnesota Twins head to Sacramento Monday night to kick off a three-game series with the Athletics at Sutter Health Park.
The Twins (63–68, 3rd AL Central) are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Padres in San Diego, now sitting two games out of a Wild Card spot. The Athletics (51–80, 5th AL West) recently took two of three from the Astros in Houston but remain saddled with the AL’s worst record, sitting a distant 14 games out of postseason contention.
The teams first met at Target Field shortly after the All-Star break, with the Twins taking two of three matchups.
Looking at the pitching probables, we’ve got Minnesota right-hander Zebby Matthews (7–8, 5.12 ERA) taking on Athletics lefty Jeffrey Springs (3–11, 6.02 ERA).
First pitch is at 9:40 p.m. ET. The Twins enter as 1.5-run road favorites with -148 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Athletics are +138 underdogs, with the game total set at O/U 11 runs.
Twins vs. Athletics Preview
Minnesota Twins
In a tightly contested American League Central race, the Twins are starting to fall behind. They’ve gone just 15–19 since the All-Star break — 10th-worst in MLB — and sit 5.5 games out of the division lead. Still only two games out of a Wild Card spot, Minnesota will be looking to capitalize in this favorable matchup against the lowly Athletics.
But with the way they’re playing, it’s going to be much easier said than done. Save for a breakout stretch for Luke Keaschall, the club’s potent offense has fizzled in the second half. The Twins rank 22nd in wRC+ and 23rd in wOBA during that stretch, with a slumping Byron Buxton hitting just .143 since his third career All-Star Game.
While Minnesota’s bullpen has started to turn a corner, its beleaguered starting rotation continues to take its lumps. Through a combination of poor performance and futile defense, Twins starters have combined for MLB’s third-highest ERA (5.48) since the break.
The absence of Joe Ryan — shelved since earlier this month with a glute injury — has placed further strain on the remaining starters, including Zebby Matthews. Despite holding the A’s to two runs over six frames on July 24, the young right-hander, 26, enters the matchup with a swollen 5.12 ERA across 17 starts (96.2 IP) in 2026. Matthews ranks in the bottom six percent of pitchers in average exit velocity (90.7 mph), barrel rate (11.6 percent), and offspeed run value (-5) — glaring red flags at the hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park.
Athletics
The Athletics entered 2026 hoping to compete for a playoff spot, propelled back into relevance by an ascendant young core. But with 31 games to go, they find themselves staked to the worst record in the American League — with the likes of Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom all out for the season.
While the absence of several key contributors has tethered the offense, the club has remained somewhat productive at the plate — undoubtedly bolstered by the hitter-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park. The A’s rank 16th in wRC+ and 15th in wOBA since the All-Star break, with a surging Jeff McNeil hitting .361 with an .851 OPS and three home runs during that stretch.
However, like Minnesota, the Athletics are anchored by the lousy cocktail of inefficient pitching and sloppy defense. Their 5.49 collective ERA is the second-highest mark in the sport in 2026, and it has ballooned to an MLB-worst 6.23 in the second half. Monday’s starter, Jeffrey Springs, has done little to spark a turnaround. The veteran left-hander, 33, enters with an unsightly 6.02 ERA — third-worst in MLB (min. 110 IP) — and ranks in the bottom one percent of hurlers in pitching run value (-29).
Facing the Twins on July 26, Springs got chased after coughing up four earned runs in 1.1 frames en route to an 11–8 loss.
Minnesota Twins vs. Athletics Pick, Best Bet
While neither offense is operating at full strength, the Twins and the Athletics seemingly specialize in making weak lineups look really, really good. In fact, the pair combined for 19 runs in their last meeting on July 26, with Jeffrey Springs on the bump. Lackluster pitching, porous defense, and just enough offense seem like the formula for a high-scoring affair in Monday’s series opener at the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the American League.
