The Minnesota Twins head to Oracle Park on Wednesday, September 23 for a 3:45 PM ET matchup against the San Francisco Giants. Connor Prielipp gets the ball for Minnesota against Giants right-hander Cesar Perdomo. With the regular season winding down, every game carries weight in the standings, and the Twins will need a clean performance on the road to come away with a win in one of baseball's most scenic — and pitcher-friendly — ballparks.

Twins vs. Giants Starting Pitchers: Prielipp and Perdomo

Connor Prielipp draws the start for the Twins. The young left-hander has been part of Minnesota's pitching mix this season, and this start on the road against a major-league lineup is a meaningful opportunity. Without a lengthy track record of gaudy numbers to lean on, Prielipp will need to work efficiently and trust his stuff in a ballpark where the marine layer and deep gaps can work against any pitcher who leaves pitches over the plate.

San Francisco counters with Cesar Perdomo. Like Prielipp, Perdomo is a pitcher the Twins will be working to get comfortable against early. Neither starter comes into this matchup with overwhelming name recognition, which makes the first few innings critical — whichever rotation arm commands the strike zone and avoids big innings early will give his team a significant edge.

Minnesota Twins Lineup at Oracle Park

• Luke Keaschall — RF
• Austin Martin — LF
• Josh Bell — DH
• Ryan Jeffers — C
• Brooks Lee — 3B
• Royce Lewis — 2B
• Emmanuel Rodriguez — CF
• Aaron Sabato — 1B
• Ben Ross — SS

San Francisco Giants Lineup

• Jonah Cox — 2B
• Turner Hill — CF
• Victor Bericoto — LF
• Bo Davidson — RF
• Andrew Knizner — C
• Brett Harris — 1B
• Marcelo Mayer — DH
• Shay Whitcomb — 3B
• Christian Koss — SS

Keys to Watch for Minnesota

Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee in Run-Production Spots

With Josh Bell hitting third and Ryan Jeffers cleanup, the Twins have veterans near the top of the order who can set the table for a middle lineup that includes Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis. Lee at third and Lewis at second gives Minnesota two players with legitimate pop batting fifth and sixth — a combination that can do real damage if Bell and Jeffers get on base ahead of them.

Emmanuel Rodriguez's Plate Discipline

Rodriguez hitting seventh means the Twins need him to work counts and get on base in front of Aaron Sabato and Ben Ross at the bottom. When Rodriguez is locked in, he makes opposing pitchers work and keeps innings alive. Against a pitcher the Twins may be seeing for the first time or with limited data, patience at the plate from the bottom of the order will matter.

Prielipp's Ability to Limit the Giants' Top of the Order

San Francisco leads off with Jonah Cox and Turner Hill, then brings up Victor Bericoto third and Bo Davidson fourth. That is a lineup construction that puts the pressure on early. Prielipp needs to attack hitters, avoid walks, and keep the ball down in a park where the dimensions can punish mistakes.

Prediction

This matchup shapes up as a low-scoring affair given the pitching profiles and the venue. Oracle Park historically suppresses offense, and with two starters whose track records at this level are still being established, expect both bullpens to play a significant role. The Twins' lineup has enough depth to piece together runs, and if Prielipp can give Minnesota five competitive innings, the offense should have enough to grind out a win. Twins 3, Giants 2.

Catch the game on Twins.TV Presented by Progressive or listen locally on WCCO 830 AM or The Wolf 102.9 FM.