Minnesota @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 5, 2010 ) Minnesota 4, Oakland 3
The movie “Hot Tub Time Machine” was a surprise hit this year.
If Minnesota Twins right-hander Nick Blackburn could go back in time, he would likely erase any evidence that he ever faced the Oakland Athletics.
The previously red-hot Blackburn looks to exorcise some demons today when the Twins seek a rare road sweep of the A’s in the finale of a three-game series.
Blackburn (6-2, 4.73) has been an integral part of the American League Central-leading Twins rotation. He rattled off five straight wins in May, compiling a 2.65 ERA during that span.
That was May, though. June started off on the wrong foot as Blackburn was rocked for five runs and 10 hits in a season-low 3 2/3 innings of a 7-1 loss to Seattle Tuesday.
Now he faces Oakland, against whom he has struggled mightily. The 28-year-old is 0-2 with a 6.37 ERA in five starts against the A's.
Blackburn probably still has nightmares about his career-worst outing vs. Oakland last season.
The A's tagged him for seven runs and a career-high 13 hits, but he didn’t receive a decision in a 14-13 loss on July 20.
Things didn't get much better the next time around, as Blackburn allowed six runs and six hits in three innings of a 12-5 loss on Sept. 11.
He will try to overcome his struggles against the A’s and help the Twins to their first road sweep of Oakland since July 18-20, 1997.
Matt Tolbert’s two-out, ninth-inning single scored pinch runner J.J. Hardy as the Twins posted a 4-3 win Saturday.
Minnesota improved to 3-3 on its seven-game road trip, which ends today.
The Twins will likely have Justin Morneau back in the lineup after he was limited to a pinch-hitting role Saturday due to an illness.
At least they hope Morneau will be back, given his track record against A’s starter Gio Gonzalez.
Morneau, who lead the majors with a .372 average, had a career day the last time he faced Gonzalez (5-3, 3.68).
The slugger hit a grand slam and added a three-run homer, giving him a career-high seven RBIs on July 20. That was the same game in which the A’s lit up Blackburn.
The 24-year-old Gonzalez yielded a career-worst 11 runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. The left-hander’s career ERA vs. Minnesota is an astronomical 28.59.
In his most recent starts against Oakland, Gonzalez allowed seven runs and eight hits in three innings of an 8-0 loss on Sept. 13 of last season.
He didn’t receive a decision in after allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings of a 9-4 loss to Boston on Tuesday.
He will try to help the A’s improve to 1-2 on this seven-game homestand.