Oakland Athletics Snap Losing Streak With 3-1 Win Over Twins
By Ana Kieu
I know I have had deep thoughts about the Oakland Athletics these days, but this specific series with the Minnesota Twins was crucial. If the A’s do not win a series against the worst team in baseball, then there is a huge problem.
Target Field is a nice stadium to play baseball in. It provides a comfortable atmosphere for people of all ages, but contains a fewer amount of fans. So the Twins had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fourth, which posed a danger for the Oakland Athletics, and right-hander Kendall Graveman wanted to end the inning on a double play.
But the A’s did not get what they had hoped for. Right fielder Max Kepler grounded into a force out that allowed Joe Mauer to bring in a run for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. For a second, I was wondering around how the A’s can dominate against playoff teams, but blow leads to lackluster teams. They are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.
Danny Valencia ended his hitless streak with a leadoff double in the top of the seventh. The A’s had to do something. They finally got a runner on the base. Oakland took advantage of one scoring opportunity. Ricky Nolasco pitched well, but ended up with a loss. Stephen Vogt drove in Valencia with a single and the A’s tied the ballgame, 1-1.
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Coco Crisp‘s fastball was too fast for the Twins’ base runners. Billy Butler‘s broken bat single loaded the bases. Crisp’s single scored Vogt and Butler. The A’s took a 3-1 lead and did some damage before the seventh inning stretch. The A’s offense certainly heated up, and Graveman exited the mound with a solid outing over 6.2 innings.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Minnesota got a triple on the third base. The A’s had to prevent another runner getting into scoring position to win the game. Crisp ended the inning on a positive note. Three runs in the seventh and some clutch hits was enough for the A’s to take the opener with a 3-1 win over the Twins.
The A’s and Twins will meet each other again tomorrow for Game 2. The A’s will turn to Sean Manaea to look for some momentum, and the Twins will send Tommy Milone to the mound.