Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) - The
Oakland Athletics can advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in three tries this afternoon, when they take on the
Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome in Game 4 of a best-of- five American League Division Series.
After blowing a lead and dropping the opener of this series by a 7-5 score, the A's have rebounded to win the next two. Friday, in the first postseason game at the Metrodome since 1991, Ray Durham and Scott Hatteberg led off the contest with back-to-back homers and Oakland added two more solo blasts in a 6-3 triumph.
Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long also went deep for Oakland, which is hoping to advance to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 1992. The A's had a two-games-to-none cushion against the New York Yankees in last season's ALDS before losing the set in five games. They were also knocked out in five by the Yankees in 2000.
"Winning today was huge," said Oakland leftfielder David Justice, who went 0- for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. "Now we know at worst, if we lose tomorrow, we go home and play in front of our crowd again."
AL Cy Young candidate Barry Zito pitched six strong innings in the win, giving up three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Closer Billy Koch tossed the ninth to record the save for the A's.
"It was really big for our morale," said Zito about the back-to-back home runs to start the game. "It kind of took the pressure off me a little bit."
Torii Hunter went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Twins, who played their first home playoff game since 1991, when they beat the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the World Series. Minnesota had a four-game home winning streak in the postseason snapped, falling to 11-2 all-time at the Metrodome in the playoffs.
"We threw everything at them we had. They got the best of us today," explained Minnesota skipper Ron Gardenhire. "They got some big hits late. We missed our opportunities. That was the deciding factor."
All four Oakland homers were surrendered by Rick Reed, who suffered the loss. The veteran righthander permitted four runs on six hits in five-plus innings of work, while striking out eight and walking two.
Following his Game 1 misfortune, Tim Hudson toes the slate for the A's again today. Hudson made the start in the opening game of the ALDS at the Coliseum and allowed four runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings in the 7-5 loss, earning a no-decision.
The righthander entered the postseason having won eight straight decisions. The streak began with a victory over the Detroit Tigers on August 3, while his last loss was versus the Anaheim Angels on July 24. During the regular season, the 27-year-old hurler went 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA in 16 starts on the road.
Hudson, who will be starting this afternoon on three days' rest, won his only start against the Twins in the regular season, surrendering a pair of runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 4-2 win on August 30 at the Coliseum. For his career, he is 5-0 versus Minnesota.
In his last start at the Metrodome, on July 18, 2001, Hudson turned in seven scoreless innings. Lifetime, the 1997 sixth-round pick is 1-1 in the playoffs, spanning four appearances -- three starts. He was 1-0 with a 0.93 earned run average against the Yankees in last year's Division Series.
Countering for the hosts is Eric Milton, who makes the first postseason start of his five-year career. The 27-year-old lefty lost his only start against the A's in the regular season, allowing three runs on four hits during four frames in a 6-0 loss on September 6.
Milton went 7-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 18 starts at the Metrodome this season. He struggled in the final month of the season, going 0-2 with a 6.64 ERA in five September starts -- his worst month of the 2002 campaign. The former first- round pick is 0-1 in his last three starts at home.
For his career, Milton is 5-3 with a 5.15 earned run average versus Oakland.
Minnesota went 54-27 at the Metrodome this season, tying the Angels and the A's for the most home victories in the Junior Circuit. Oakland, on the other hand, was 49-32 on the year as the guest.
The A's won the season series by a 6-3 margin, including two wins in three attempts in Minnesota. However, the one victory by the Twins snapped Oakland's American League-record, 20-game winning streak.
If this series shifts back to the Coliseum for a fifth and deciding contest, Mark Mulder (1-0, 1.50) will tangle with Brad Radke (0-0, 1.80). Mulder earned a win in Game 2 with six frames of five-hit, one-run ball, while Radke started the first game of the series and did not factor into the decision after giving up five runs -- one earned -- on eight hits in five frames.
