First Impressions - A's vs Twins

The Division Series schedule is out and a Tuesday afternoon matchup between Oakland and Minnesota at the Metrodome will kick off the 2006 postseason. A quick look at the series...

Oakland (93-69) vs. Minnesota (96-66)
After the All-Star Break, the Twins led the American League with 49 wins, 1 more than the Athletics. The strength of the Central Division champ lies in their pitching which led the league in ERA after the break by half a run. The rotation is headed by Cy Young Award favorite Johan Santana, but the bullpen is the most impressive asset with a full season ERA of 2.91. At the plate, the Twins led the league in batting average, including a sizzling 2nd half in which they batted just under .300.

The Athletics success is a little harder to explain. While not overwhelming in any one facet, they relied on a balance of hitting, pitching, and fielding for its 2nd half run. The lineup was ranked last in batting average at the break, but hit 36 points higher in the 2nd half and scored the 5th most runs over that span. The pitching staff finished 7th in the majors for the season, led also by its bullpen, which finished with an ERA of 3.62. The defense finished in a tie for 3rd in the majors (with the Twins) in fielding percentage at .986.

Series Note: the first three games of the series will be played during the day which could prove advantageous for the A's. Oakland led the AL with a 40-21 record in day games as opposed to the Twins 27-20 mark.

Prediction: The Twins pitching and the probability of two starts by Santana in a short series gives Minnesota the edge. Minnesota in 4