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Athletics-Twins Preview

Sep 18, 2010 - 11:32 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Oakland (73-73) at Minnesota (88-59), 2:10 p.m. EDT

Francisco Liriano's stellar second half has helped the Minnesota Twins close in on their sixth AL Central title in manager Ron Gardenhire's nine seasons.

Liriano will try to push the Twins closer to clinching that crown by tying the longest winning streak in the majors this season Sunday against the visiting Oakland Athletics.

Liriano (14-7, 3.28 ERA) is 8-0 with a 2.41 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break and has earned victories in consecutive outings. The left-hander struck out seven and allowed three runs over six innings in Tuesday's 9-3 win at Chicago to start Minnesota's three-game sweep of the second-place White Sox.

The victory put him within one of the nine-game runs by Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez (May 15-July 8) and the New York Yankees' CC Sabathia (June 3-July 22).

Liriano appears to have a good chance to match those streaks Sunday, having posted a 1.80 ERA in his last four starts against the A's with 28 strikeouts in 25 innings. He did not receive a decision in his only matchup this season, a 4-3 win June 5, despite allowing one run and striking out 10 over seven innings.

The Twins, 6-2 against Oakland this season, had a five-game win streak snapped in Friday's opener of this three-game set but bounced back with a 4-2 victory Saturday. Rookie Danny Valencia's second homer of the series, a three-run shot, helped Minnesota improve to 16-5 against the A's at home since the beginning of the 2006 season, including 4-1 at Target Field.

Valencia, who celebrates his 26th birthday Sunday, is hitting .432 with 11 RBIs in his last 12 games.

"You want to come out, being a first-year guy, and you want to perform," Valencia said. "Things couldn't have gone much better for me than they are right now."

Called up from the minors in early June, Valencia has hit .456 in 31 games at Target Field and has multihit efforts in his last six games there.

The Twins (89-59), winners in 17 of 21 overall, are a major league-best 23-7 at home in the second half, and Liriano has gone 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last six home starts.

Minnesota's bullpen has allowed one earned run in the past 22 1-3 innings and has a 1.80 ERA against the A's this season.

Attempting to finish with its first winning season in manager Bob Geren's four years, Oakland (73-74) will start journeyman left-hander Bobby Cramer, who won his long-awaited major league debut Monday.

Cramer (1-0, 1.69), who turns 31 next month, allowed one run and four hits over 5 1-3 innings in a 3-1 victory at Kansas City. He began this season in the Mexican League, going 13-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 22 games while on loan from the A's, before joining Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 5.

"Just getting here was amazing in itself, but now that I'm here I want to pitch well," said Kramer, who was 2-2 with a 1.94 ERA in seven Triple-A starts.

A 38th-round pick in 2001 for Seattle, Cramer worked in pipeline maintenance and safety for Shell and as a substitute teacher after being released by Tampa Bay in 2005. He also played in the independent Golden League after a shoulder injury ended his first tenure with the A's in 2008. Oakland re-signed him before last season.

While Cramer made a dazzling debut, outfielder Chris Carter has gotten off to the worst career start for an A's hitter - 0 for 29 with 13 strikeouts.