The Minnesota Twins head to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento to take on the Athletics on Tuesday, August 25, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET. Taj Bradley gets the ball for Minnesota against Athletics lefty Gage Jump in a regular-season matchup that carries real weight for a Twins club looking to keep pace in the AL standings. This one is available on Twins.TV Presented by Progressive and WCCO 830 for fans back in Minnesota.
Probable Starters: Taj Bradley vs. Gage Jump
Bradley gets the nod for the Twins in what figures to be an important outing on the road. Bradley was acquired to give Minnesota a reliable arm in the rotation, and every start down the stretch of the regular season matters. The Twins need consistent length from their starters, and Bradley's job Tuesday is straightforward: go deep into the game, keep the Athletics lineup off the bases, and give Minnesota's offense a chance to do damage.
Gage Jump draws the assignment for Oakland. Jump is a young arm working to establish himself at the big-league level, and the Athletics will lean on him to keep a Twins lineup that is capable of manufacturing runs from doing too much damage early. Minnesota's hitters should look to work counts against Jump and see if they can get into the Oakland bullpen sooner rather than later.
Keys to Watch for the Minnesota Twins
- Bradley's command: Road starts on the West Coast with a late first pitch can be tricky. Bradley needs to throw strikes and avoid big innings to keep Minnesota in this game from the jump.
- Early-count aggression: If the Twins can identify Jump's primary offering early, jumping on hittable pitches in the first two innings could set the tone before the Athletics bullpen gets involved.
- Bullpen management: With a late-night start and travel factored in, how Minnesota deploys its relief corps if Bradley exits early is something to monitor closely.
- Baserunning and situational hitting: Sutter Health Park is a bandbox, but smart baseball — moving runners, taking the extra base — will matter just as much as raw power output.
Prediction
This matchup shapes up as a competitive game with two pitchers who have something to prove. Bradley is the more established arm in this pairing, and that edge matters. If he can pitch into the sixth or seventh inning and limit Oakland's damage, Minnesota's lineup has enough in it to piece together a road win against a young Athletics starter. The Twins take this one, 5-3, with Bradley delivering a quality start and the offense doing enough against Jump early to make it stand up.
