Four-game winning streak ends as Minnesota Twins fall to A’s
It seems to be an unfortunate trend for the Minnesota Twins (15-35). Either the offense does well and the pitching struggles or vice versa.
On Monday, both aspects performed well, perhaps good enough to win but ultimately both fell short as the Oakland A’s (23-29) ended the Twins’ four-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory.
It was a pitcher’s duel between two teams that have struggled in that category. For the Twins, Ervin Santana went seven solid innings, allowing three earned runs – with one run being a tough luck run – while striking out five.
More from Puckett's Pond
- Minnesota Twins: After signing with the Mets, Correa spurns Twins again
- Minnesota Twins: You Spin Me Right Round, Right Round
- Minnesota Twins: What happens next at Shortstop?
- Minnesota Twins: Grading the Twins’ Joey Gallo signing
- Minnesota Twins: 4 Possible Trade Chips not named Kepler or Arraez
For Oakland, it was Kendall Graveman who entered the game with a 5.36 ERA. But judging by the way Graveman pitched, that ERA seemed to be a bit of a fluke.
Graveman held the Twins in check going six innings, allowing two runs while striking out five.
Offensively, there weren’t too many fireworks. Coco Crisp led off the game with a home run to give Oakland a 1-0 lead.
The Twins quickly tied things up off an RBI single by Juan Centeno and soon took a 2-1 lead off a sacrifice fly by Brian Dozier.
That lead wouldn’t last long as Marcus Semien drove in Yonder Alonso with an RBI double in the fifth.
The A’s would take the final lead when Khris Davis hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give Oakland a 3-2 lead.
Jed Lowrie scored the game-winning run, which was set up by a double off the bat of Stephen Vogt. The ball was crushed to center but was up in the air long enough that Danny Santana could have made a play on it.
It did seem as though Santana lost the ball in the sun as he took a few stutter steps back. That allowed Lowrie to go from first to third with no outs and ultimately come across to score following the sac fly.
The Twins last great chance to tie things up came in the seventh when there were runners on second and third with one out.
Brian Dozier struck out and then Joe Mauer lined out to Alonso at first base who made a magnificent play and save the game for the A’s.
MVT: Ervin Santana
The Twins will try to spark another winning streak on Tuesday when they take on the A’s in Game Two of the series. Tyler Duffey (2-3, 3.93) will be on the mound for the Twins and will face Eric Surkamp (0-3, 6.55). Hopefully the Twins will be able to turn around the negative trend that has cursed them this season. The team has yet to win a series following a Game One loss this season. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 CST at Oakland Coliseum.