Minnesota @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 4, 2010 ) Minnesota 5, Oakland 4

Justin Morneau already has one MVP award in his trophy case. Now, the Minnesota Twins star is making a strong push for a second in three seasons.

And with two key players injured or unavailable, the Twins need Morneau to carry them now more than ever.

The short-handed Twins hope Morneau can stay hot on Saturday when they continue a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

The 2008 American League MVP, Morneau is having a huge first half and leads the majors in average (.372) and OPS (1.174). He is fifth in home runs (13) and tied for 10th in RBIs (40).

On Friday, he hit a two-run homer and scored three times, helping Minnesota snap a season-high three-game skid with a 5-4 win in 11 innings.

Delmon Young’s single plated Morneau, who led off the 11th with a double. Morneau went 2-for-4 and is hitting .388 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs since May 1.

The AL Central-leading Twins, who had been held to one run in each of their previous three games, need Morneau to continue to excel.

That’s because Minnesota will be without right fielder Michael Cuddyer, who is third on the team with 29 RBIs. Cuddyer was placed on the bereavement list Thursday following the death of his father-in-law.

In addition, the Twins will be without second baseman Orlando Hudson. The nine-year veteran is nursing a left wrist injury. Hudson is hitting .305 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in his first season with Minnesota.

The good news for the Twins is that Morneau has handled A’s pitching over the years. The 29-year-old is batting .308 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs in 51 games against Oakland.

He is 3-for-5 with a homer against Trevor Cahill (4-2, 3.02), who takes the hill for the A’s and is seeking a fourth straight win. A second-round pick in 2006, Cahill went 10-13 with a 4.63 ERA as a rookie in 2009.

But the 20-year-old phenom has figured things out quickly this season, posting a 1.42 ERA over his last three starts. He allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-1 win over Detroit on Tuesday.

Cahill is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two starts vs. Minnesota. The right-hander held the Twins to one run and six hits in seven innings of a 16-1 win on July 22 of last season.

Cahill will be opposed by Francisco Liriano (5-3, 3.29), who may need all the run support he can get.

The 26-year-old is entering his personal house of horrors. Liriano is 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in four starts at The Oakland Coliseum.

Overall, he is 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA in eight games – six starts - vs. the A’s.

Liriano picked up his first win in four starts on Tuesday. The left-hander allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings of a 5-4 win over Seattle. He had been 0-3 with a 5.47 ERA in his previous four outings.

He will try and slow down Kevin Kouzmanoff, who has been spearheading Oakland’s sudden power surge. Kouzmanoff has homered in three straight games. The A’s, who have hit the sixth-fewest home runs in baseball (39), have six in that span.

Oakland has won six of the 11 meetings dating back to last season.