Athletics vs Minnesota Twins

Athletics at Minnesota Twins (2026-07-24). Jacob Lopez vs Zebby Matthews at Target Field.

Starters — Jacob Lopez carries a 6.64 ERA and 1.73 WHIP across 59.2 innings, with 7.39 K/9, 5.43 BB/9, and 1.66 HR/9. His last three starts were 4.1 innings with 2 earned runs and 6 strikeouts, 1.2 scoreless innings, and 3 innings with 4 earned runs. The recent form is tagged as a downward trend, and the elevated walk rate remains a key pressure point. Zebby Matthews has a 5.40 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 70 innings, with 7.46 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, and 1.93 HR/9. His last three starts were 3 innings with 8 earned runs, 6 innings with 4 earned runs, and 4.2 innings with 4 earned runs. The trend is listed as up, but the home run rate and the rough most recent outing still stand out.

Teams — Oakland enters with a .732 OPS, 458 runs scored, a .248 team average, and a 5.39 team ERA with a 1.49 WHIP. The Athletics are 2-8 over their last 10 games, so the offense has been only modestly productive while the pitching staff has allowed plenty of traffic. Minnesota has a .730 OPS, 498 runs scored, and a .246 team average, backed by a 4.71 team ERA and 1.39 WHIP. The Twins are 5-5 in their last 10, and their profile shows a slightly steadier overall run-prevention base with a similar offensive output to Oakland.