Final
Twins-Athletics Preview
Jun 8, 2009 - 3:11 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior WriterMinnesota (28-29) at Oakland (24-30), 10:05 p.m. EDT
Stellar starting pitching has helped pace the Oakland Athletics during their longest winning streak of the season.
Rookie Josh Outman hopes to continue that success Monday night when the A's look for a seventh straight victory in the opener of a four-game home series with the Minnesota Twins.
In his second career start, Vin Mazzaro allowed five hits in 7 1-3 innings of Oakland's 3-0 win over Baltimore on Sunday for the club's third shutout during its six-game winning streak.
Still last in the AL West, Oakland (25-30) hasn't won seven in a row since a 10-game streak from June 8-18, 2006.
Though their two total hits Sunday contributed to their AL-worst .240 batting average, the A's have outscored the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore 38-8 during the winning streak.
However, the club's starting pitchers - four of which are rookies - are 6-0 while allowing five earned runs, striking out 23 and walking five in 40 1-3 innings over the stretch.
"They're attacking the strike zone and putting hitters away," A's catcher Kurt Suzuki said. "That's big. They're getting more comfortable."
Outman (3-0, 3.02 ERA) earned a win during the streak after allowing three runs - two earned - and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-3 win over the White Sox on Wednesday.
The left-hander, who makes his first appearance versus Minnesota, has not given up more than three earned runs in 13 career starts dating to last season.
"Josh is a stud," A's starting pitcher Dallas Braden told the team's official Web site. "Capital S-T-U-D. You end up with a name like 'Outman,' what else are you going to do? You're going to get people out, man."
Orlando Cabrera and Adam Kennedy each had a hit for the A's, who scored their runs on a walk and hit batter with the bases loaded, and a fielder's choice.
Kennedy, who's hitting .339 in 28 games since being traded to Oakland from Tampa Bay, went 5 for 13 (.385) with four runs scored against the Orioles.
Oakland faces Minnesota (28-30) for the first time this season after the teams split 10 games in 2008, with the A's going 4-3 at home.
The Twins look to avoid a third straight loss after falling 4-2 at Seattle on Sunday to drop two of three in their opening series of a 10-game road trip.
Minnesota, which is 7-18 away from home, allowed seven runs in the series, but scored five. The Twins went 2 for 24 with runners in scoring position.
"That is why you lose baseball games and why we are struggling on the road, because we are just not hitting with men out there," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Justin Morneau drove in a run for his fifth RBI in four games, and Brendan Harris doubled to extend his career-high hitting streak to 12 games. Harris is batting .348 (16 for 46) during the streak, but .215 in his career against Oakland.
Anthony Swarzak (1-2, 4.76) makes his fourth career start for the Twins.
After not allowing a run in his first 11 major league innings, the right-hander has given up nine over his last six. Swarzak was tagged for six runs and nine hits in four innings of a 10-1 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday.
"I thought I was (finding my groove) before (Wednesday)," Swarzak told the Twins' official Web site. "That's why I'm so frustrated."
- AL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
MINNESOTA 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 1
OAKLAND 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 x 4 6 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: MIN - ANTHONY SWARZAK, LUIS AYALA (4TH), SEAN HENN (6TH), MATT
GUERRIER (8TH) AND JOE MAUER
OAK - JOSHUA OUTMAN, MICHAEL WUERTZ (7TH), CRAIG
BRESLOW (8TH), BRAD ZI
Jun 9 1:09 AM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JACK CUST (10) TO RIGHT WITH 0 OUT IN THE
5TH OFF LUIS AYALA.
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3, OAKLAND 4
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: M HOLLIDAY (.286, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Twins 3, Athletics 4 Bot 5, 0 OutsJun 8 11:43 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JACK HANNAHAN SCORED JASON GIAMBI, KURT SUZUKI
AND AARON CUNNINGHAM.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J HANNAHAN ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3
OAKLAND 3 BOTTOM, 4TH
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R DAVIS (.224, 1-FOR-1)
Twins 3, Athletics 3 Bot 4, 0 OutsJun 8 11:27 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MATT TOLBERT SCORED BRENDAN HARRIS AND DELMON
YOUNG.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, M TOLBERT ON FIRST, C GOMEZ ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 3
OAKLAND 0 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: A CASILLA (.183, 0-FOR-1)
Twins 3, Athletics 0 Top 4, 0 OutsJun 8 11:09 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO CARLOS GOMEZ SCORED MICHAEL CUDDYER.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, C GOMEZ ON FIRST, D YOUNG ON SECOND, B
HARRIS ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: MINNESOTA 1
OAKLAND 0 TOP, 4TH
DUE UP FOR MINNESOTA: M TOLBERT (.175, 0-FOR-1)
Twins 1, Athletics 0 Top 4, 0 OutsJun 8 11:08 PM
Related News
- Elephant Rumblings: Post-Christmas lull at full throttle Dec 26
- Greatest Minnesota Twins: The Twinkie Town Definitive List (Round 9) Dec 26
- Twas The Night Before Christmas... Dec 24
- The season of perpetual hope (Pt. 3 of 3): Jim Eisenreich Dec 24
- Elephant Rumblings: Luis Morales a prospect to watch in 2024 Dec 24
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Lawrence Butler Dec 23
- Elephant Rumblings: Giants Strike Out in Free Agency Once Again Dec 23
- Rival Roundup, Vol. 47: Home for the Holidays Dec 23
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Esteury Ruiz Dec 22
- Elephant Rumblings: MLB approves 2024 rule changes Dec 22
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: JJ Bleday Dec 21
- Elephant Rumblings: Replies off, talk to the hand Dec 21