Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, California
First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
Broadcast: NBCS-CA / Twins.TV)
Starting Pitchers
Twins: RHP Taj Bradley (9-5, 3.90 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, ~158 K). Solid mid-rotation option with a winning record and strong strikeout totals; one of Minnesota’s more reliable arms this season.
Athletics: LHP Gage Jump (5-8, 4.83 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, ~88 K). Higher ERA and WHIP; has shown flashes but struggled with consistency, especially post-All-Star break in some reports.
Bradley holds clear edges in ERA, record, and overall reliability against a struggling Athletics club.
Venue & Weather Forecast
Sutter Health Park (temporary home of the Athletics), West Sacramento, CA.
Forecast for game time/evening: Hot daytime highs (low-to-mid 90s°F or higher, approaching 95–100°F possible), partly cloudy to mostly sunny/clearing skies, very low precipitation chance (near 0%), light south/southwest winds. Warm conditions typical for the Sacramento area in late August; expect a dry, playable night game.
Current Rosters / Projected Lineups
Twins (key active hitters): Byron Buxton (CF – power leader with 25 HR and strong slugging), Josh Bell (DH/1B – RBI producer), Kaelen Culpepper (SS – recent multi-hit contributor), Brooks Lee (3B/IF), Luke Keaschall, Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers (C). Balanced attack with power and speed.
Athletics (key active hitters): Jeff McNeil (IF/OF), Henry Bolte (OF – recent hot streak), Lawrence Butler (OF), Zack Gelof (IF), Max Muncy or supporting pieces, Jonah Heim (C). Limited star power with several key absences; rely on opportunistic scoring.
Twins feature superior overall production and recent series success.
Injury Reports
Twins: Joe Ryan (SP, 15-day IL, glute); Austin Martin (OF, 10-day IL, hamstring); longer-term absences including Pablo López, Cole Sands, Mike Paredes, David Festa, Mick Abel, and others. Core lineup mostly available.
Athletics: Shea Langeliers (C, 10-day IL, knee); Jacob Wilson (SS, 10-day IL); Nick Kurtz (1B, 60-day IL); Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, and numerous others on longer IL terms (including several pitchers). Significant depth and production impacted.
Athletics are more heavily depleted.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Byron Buxton / Josh Bell / Kaelen Culpepper / Brooks Lee vs. Gage Jump: Twins’ power and recent form against Jump’s elevated ERA. Buxton’s athleticism and power remain major threats.
Supporting bats (Lewis, Jeffers) vs. Jump.
Jeff McNeil / Henry Bolte / Lawrence Butler vs. Taj Bradley: Athletics’ best remaining hitters against Bradley’s solid command and K ability.
Secondary lineup pieces vs. Bradley.
Bullpens: Both mid-tier with absences; Sutter Health Park can play relatively neutral-to-hitter friendly in warm conditions. Bradley’s edge should help limit the Athletics’ offense.
Bradley’s profile gives Minnesota a clear pitching advantage.
Recent Team Forms
Twins: Mixed recent results but W1 after a 9-6 series-opening win at the Athletics (Buxton and Culpepper stood out). Third in AL Central; competitive but inconsistent overall.
Athletics: 3-7 last 10; L1. Poor overall record and home form (23-41 range). Fifth in AL West with significant struggles.
Series History
2026 season series: Twins lead 3-1 (took 2 of 3 in July at Minnesota; won the Aug 24 series opener 9-6 in West Sacramento). This is Game 2 of the current three-game set (concludes Aug 26). Minnesota has dominated the matchup this year.
Betting Trends
Twins solid favorites due to better record, series dominance, and pitching matchup. Public leaning Minnesota. Overs often in play given both teams’ run environments and the Athletics’ high ERA staff. Twins strong as road favorites against a last-place club.
Game Odds
Minnesota Twins – 156
Athletics 9.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, August 24, 2026
