As the Oakland A’s embark on their final road trip of the season, they’re looking to end on a positive note and get their September record back to .500. After starting 7-5 in the first two weeks of the month, they’ve stumbled to a horrid 2-8 since then. That puts them at 9-13 for September, meaning they’ll have to go 5-1 in the last six games to get back to an even 14-14 record.
That work begins tonight as the A’s start a three-game series against the recently minted AL Central Champions, the Minnesota Twins. For game 1, A’s rotation leader Paul Blackburn will be facing off against the Twins’ third-year starter Bailey Ober, who’s pitched effectively to a 3.