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Twins' Liriano set to square off versus A's again

Sat 30th, August 2008

(Sports Network) - Of Francisco Liriano's eight starts this season, two have come against the Oakland Athletics. Tonight, Liriano will lead the playoff- hopeful Minnesota Twins against the A's in the third test of a four-game series from McAfee Coliseum.

Liriano first squared off with the Athletics on April 24 by the bay and was reached for six runs and five hits in two-thirds of an inning. The Twins never recovered and were handed an 11-2 setback that day. Liriano rebounded on August 20 versus Oakland at the Metrodome, where he yielded one unearned run and five hits in five frames of his team's 3-1 victory.

The left-hander, who will make his sixth start since being recalled from the minor leagues, last pitched on August 25 at Seattle and is 4-0 over the past five trips to the mound. Liriano did not factor in the 4-2 loss to the Mariners after holding them to a run on five hits in six innings of work. He is 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA in eight outings this season.

Minnesota is just a half game behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central standings, and improved to 4-5 on its season-long 14-game road trip following Friday's 12-2 pounding of the Oakland Athletics in the second installment of this series.

Starter Kevin Slowey tossed six dominant innings and gave up a pair of runs and six hits in six innings of work for the win. Craig Breslow earned his first career save with three perfect innings of relief with three K's.

Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau finished with five and four hits, respectively, while Mauer drove in four runs. Jason Kubel and Denard Span each added a pair of RBI for the Twins, who had lost five of six coming into the game. The Twins are also 2 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the wild card standings.

Mauer has been hitting the ball well against the A's this season, going 12- for-26 with five runs batted in through six meetings.

Oakland had a two-game winning streak halted with Friday's loss. Starting pitcher Dan Meyer was shelled for six runs -- two earned -- on four hits and two walks in just 1 2/3 frames in suffering the loss. Jack Cust hit a two-run homer for the A's, who were coming off back-to-back wins for the first time since July 10-11.

Taking the ball for the Athletics this evening will be Dallas Braden, who is 4-3 with a 4.13 earned run average in 16 games (seven starts) this season. Braden is 2-1 over the past four outings, having beaten the LA Angels of Anaheim the last time out on August 25.

Braden limited Anaheim's mighty lineup to just a run and seven hits in seven innings of his team's 2-1 triumph.

The left-handed Texas Tech product faced Minnesota for the first time on August 20 at the Metrodome, and was handed the loss. Braden gave up three runs on six hits in 5 2/3 frames in a 3-1 loss.

The season series between these clubs is knotted at four games apiece.