The Athletics matched up against the Minnesota Twins in the second game of their three-game series, looking to build on their series-opening victory. This game played out the inverse of Friday night’s contest, as the A’s struggled with runners in scoring position in a 2-0 loss that sets up Sunday’s series finale to be the rubber match.
Both Teams Waste Scoring Chances
The Twins’ scheduled starter Michael Paredes was a late scratch, so Kendry Rojas made the start for the hosts. The left-hander got his outing off to a strong start with a scoreless first two innings. A’s opener, left-hander Brady Basso, matched Rojas, keeping the Twins off the board through two frames.
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A’s center fielder Henry Bolte walked to begin the third inning and then advanced to second on right fielder Lawrence Butler’s sacrifice bunt. Rojas escaped the jam as the Athletics stranded Bolte at third base, wasting their first scoring opportunity of the game.
Basso’s day was done after 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk, while recording three strikeouts. Right-hander Mason Barnett replaced him out of the A’s bullpen, inheriting a runner on second and one out. He did his job, preventing that runner from scoring.
Pitching Duel Continues
The Twins removed Rojas from the game after he completed four scoreless innings, only allowing one hit and one walk and striking out five.
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Left-hander Taylor Rogers entered to pitch the fifth. Seeking to break the deadlock, A’s first baseman Jeff McNeil was awarded a one-out double to right field after fan interference. With two on and two out, Jacob Wilson grounded out, failing to come through with runners in scoring position for the second time in the game.
While the A’s offense struggled to get going, its pitching staff continued to keep the Twins off the board. Barnett picked up where Basso left off, pitching 2 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the game scoreless through five innings.
Twins Score First
Barnett ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. A walk followed by a double put two Twins runners in scoring position at second and third with one out. With two outs, Twins’ right fielder Alan Roden lined a two-run single, giving Minnesota a 2-0 lead and ending Barnett’s outing. The hero of last night’s game, left-hander Jose Suarez, entered and recorded the final out of the inning, limiting the damage to two runs.
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Twins’ reliever Tommy Nance protected his team’s lead, working around McNeil’s second double of the game to pitch a scoreless seventh inning. Once again, the A’s could not come through with a two-out RBI hit as Bolte flew out to center to end the threat.
A’s Offense Woeful!
The Athletics offense failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity to at least tie the game in the eighth inning. Facing Twins’ right-hander Andrew Morris, Butler drew a leadoff walk. He advanced to third base as Wilson reached second on Morris’ throwing error.
Minnesota’s reliever escaped the jam by striking out Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom on pitches nowhere near the strike zone before getting Jonah Heim to ground out. Kurtz should have gone on a rehab assignment as he struck out four times in his first game off the injured list.
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Not scoring there took the wind out of the A’s sails. The visitors went down quietly in the top of the ninth against Yoendrys Gómez, who secured his 13th save in the Twins 2-0 series-evening victory.
The A’s finished the game 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven on base in a disappointing offensive performance. The “Green and Gold” will aim to get the bats back on track in tomorrow’s series finale, which will pit Athletics’ veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs against Minnesota’s young lefty Connor Prielipp.
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