The Minnesota Twins head to Sutter Health Park to take on the Athletics on Wednesday, August 26, with first pitch set for 9:05 PM ET. Connor Prielipp gets the ball for Minnesota opposite Oakland's J.T. Ginn in a regular-season matchup that carries weight for a Twins club looking to keep pace in a competitive AL Central race. Catch the game on Twins.TV Presented by Progressive, WCCO 830, or The Wolf 102.9 FM.

Twins vs. Athletics Starting Pitchers: Prielipp vs. Ginn

Connor Prielipp draws the start for Minnesota. The left-hander has been working his way through the Twins system and now gets a chance to contribute at the major-league level. Without a deep statistical record to lean on here, this is a game where the Twins' lineup will need to do its part early and give Prielipp a lead to work with. How he handles a lineup he may not have faced extensively will be the central pitching storyline of the night.

J.T. Ginn toes the rubber for Oakland. Like Prielipp, Ginn is a young arm with stuff that can keep hitters honest. Minnesota's offense will need to be patient, work counts, and look for mistakes. Neither pitcher enters with a long track record of big-league dominance, which means this game could genuinely go either way depending on who settles in first.

Minnesota Twins Lineup at Sutter Health Park

• Luke Keaschall — CF
• Brooks Lee — 3B
• Josh Bell — DH
• Ryan Jeffers — C
• Kody Clemens — 2B
• Royce Lewis — 1B
• Trevor Larnach — LF
• Kaelen Culpepper — SS
• Alan Roden — RF

Athletics Lineup

• Henry Bolte — CF
• Zack Gelof — LF
• Lawrence Butler — RF
• Jonah Heim — C
• Tommy White — 1B
• Michael Stefanic — 2B
• Brian Serven — DH
• Alika Williams — SS
• Darell Hernaiz — 3B

Keys to Watch for the Twins

Royce Lewis at First Base

Royce Lewis slotting into the six-hole at first base is worth monitoring. His bat is capable of changing a game at any point in the order, and getting him going on the road against a young pitcher like Ginn is exactly the kind of opportunity Minnesota needs to capitalize on.

Ryan Jeffers in the Middle of the Order

Jeffers hitting cleanup signals the trust the Twins have in his bat. If he can get into hitter's counts against Ginn, he has the power to put runs on the board in a hurry. His ability to control the strike zone will be a key factor in how this offense performs.

Brooks Lee Setting the Table

Lee batting second gives the Twins a dangerous one-two punch at the top of the order alongside Keaschall. If those two can get on base consistently, it puts Bell and Jeffers in position to drive in runs and put pressure on Oakland's defense and bullpen early.

Prediction

This is a game built around two young starters finding their footing at the big-league level. Whoever's offense wakes up first likely wins this one. Minnesota has enough lineup depth and offensive upside — particularly in the middle of the order with Jeffers, Bell, and Lewis — to generate enough runs. Give the edge to the Twins, 5-3, in a competitive road win at Sutter Health Park.