Oakland @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2018 ) Oakland 4, Minnesota 6

The Oakland Athletics still have a grasp of the second wild card in the American League, but their hopes of winning a division title are in danger of slipping away. Oakland looks to avoid a third consecutive loss when it visits the Minnesota Twins on Friday for the second contest of their four-game series.

The Athletics own a four-game lead over AL West-rival Seattle for the wild-card spot but fell 1 1/2 games behind division-leading Houston with Thursday's 6-4 setback. Khris Davis belted his major league-high 39th home run and Jed Lowrie also went deep for Oakland, which has lost consecutive contests for the first time since enduring a three-game sweep in Colorado from July 27-29. Davis, who is four blasts away from matching the career high he set last season, has homered five times in as many games and a league-best 10 times this month. Minnesota overcame an early 2-0 deficit to post its ninth win in 11 home contests as Joe Mauer delivered an RBI single during a three-run fourth inning for his 2,085th career hit, tying Rod Carew for second place on the franchise list.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (11-9, 3.70 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jake Odorizzi (5-7, 4.55)

The team leader in victories, Manaea has alternated wins and losses over his last six decisions after being tagged for six runs and nine hits over four innings of a setback against Houston on Sunday. The 26-year-old native of Indiana has not suffered back-to-back defeats since the final week of May, when he surrendered 10 runs and 13 hits over 8 2/3 frames in losses to Arizona and Tampa Bay. Manaea has split his two career starts against Minnesota, allowing seven runs on 12 hits and six walks with 13 strikeouts in 11 innings.

Odorizzi is unbeaten in four starts this month but has notched just one win as he escaped with a no-decision against Detroit on Sunday after yielding four runs and four hits across five innings. The 28-year-old from Illinois has worked more than five frames only four times in his last 15 outings and has yet to go more than six this season. Odorizzi has made five career starts versus Oakland, going 1-2 with a 3.34 ERA.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins C Bobby Wilson walked and scored a run on Thursday before exiting with a sprained right ankle.

2. Lowrie has reached the 20-homer plateau for the first time in his career and is the third Athletic to hit the mark this year.

3. Minnesota has gone 20-6 at home since June 24.

PREDICTION: Athletics 7, Twins 3