Minnesota @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2013 ) Minnesota 0, Oakland 11

The Oakland Athletics have a chance to clinch their second straight American League West title when they host the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in the third contest of a four-game series. Oakland, which has won 11 of 14 to seize control of the division, needs to beat the Twins and have Texas lose in Kansas City to repeat as division champion. The Athletics have won 14 of 19 in September to assure they will have a winning record in each month this season - the fifth time that's happened in franchise history.

Oakland has beaten the Twins four straight times - all this month - and done a number on their pitching staff by putting up 45 runs after Friday's 11-0 drubbing. Minnesota, which committed four errors in Friday's debacle, needs three more wins for Ron Gardenhire to become the eighth active manager with 1,000 victories. Josh Willingham, who played for the Athletics in 2011, had a pair of hits Friday to raise his batting average against his former team to .396 (19-for-48).

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Pedro Hernandez (3-1, 5.26 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Jarrod Parker (11-7, 3.81)

Hernandez has not factored in the decision in all three starts since his recall from Triple-A Rochester, giving up three runs on four hits over five innings against Tampa Bay in his last turn. Four walks and two homers proved costly for Hernandez, who has gone past 5 1/3 innings only once in his 10 starts. His best outing since his recall came on the road, when he gave up two runs in six innings at Houston.

Parker lost for the first time in nearly four months last time out, getting battered for eight runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings by the Los Angeles Angels. It was only the second time in 23 starts Parker allowed more than three runs. Parker is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three outings against the Twins, but he did not factor in the decision at Minnesota on Sept. 10, when he gave up two runs in six frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics 3B Josh Donaldson hit his 24th homer Friday and stretched his on-base streak to 25 games.

2. Willingham is 7-for-20 with three homers in five games against the Athletics this month.

3. Oakland is 20-12 against AL Central teams.

PREDICTION: Athletics 5, Twins 2