Twins Look to Exploit Shaky Springs in Oakland

The Twins roll into the Coliseum on Monday night laying -145 against an Athletics squad that's trotting out Jeffrey Springs fresh off the 15-day IL with a hip issue. Springs has been a punching bag this season—6.02 ERA, 1.48 WHIP—and now he's coming back on short rest against a Twins lineup that hung 11 runs on Oakland last month. Zebby Matthews isn't exactly dealing Cy Young stuff himself at 5.12 ERA, but that's nearly a full run better than what Springs has offered, and in a game where both clubs are on back-to-backs, that gap matters.

Minnesota's road form is ugly (1-5 in their last six away), but they've owned this season series 2-1 and just steamrolled these same A's 11-8 five weeks ago at -144. Oakland's home-field edge means little when you're running out a patchwork roster and a starter who might not make it through five. The confidence here is modest—2 out of 5—because the Twins have been maddeningly inconsistent on the road, but the pitching mismatch is too glaring to ignore. If Springs labors early, this one could get out of hand fast. Lay the lumber with Minnesota and hope Matthews can keep the ball in the yard long enough for the bats to do damage.