Athletics 8, Twins 3: Twins Swept Away by Last-Place A’s

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: José Ureña - 5 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 96 pitches (60 strikes)
Home Runs: None
Bottom 3 WPA: Ureña -.338, Buxton -.063, Clemens -.060
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

The Minnesota Twins came into Thursday’s matinee desperate to avoid a sweep against the cellar-dwelling Oakland West Sacramento Athletics. Instead, they fell flat, undone by one disastrous inning and a sputtering offense in an 8–3 loss at Target Field.

Journeyman right-hander José Ureña got the start, hoping to make a case for sticking around into next season. That hope evaporated quickly in the second inning, when the ex-Oaklanders erupted for six runs on five hits (two of them doubles), two walks, and a hit batter. By the time Ureña escaped, the Athletics had a commanding 6–0 lead, and the Twins’ chances felt slim given their season-long offensive struggles. To his credit, Ureña contained the damage to that one frame and gutted his way through five innings, sparing an overworked bullpen from further exposure. But the deficit proved insurmountable.

The Twins finally broke through in the fourth inning when James Outman, collecting his first RBI as a Twin, and Austin Martin each pushed runs across with infield singles. That trimmed the deficit to 6–2, but any momentum was short-lived. The eventual Las Vegans extended their lead in the sixth when rookie sensation Nick Kurtz, the frontrunner for AL Rookie of the Year, launched a solo homer to dead center field off Michael Tonkin. They tacked on another run in the seventh to push the margin back to six. Royce Lewis plated one more run with a ninth-inning knock, but by then, the outcome had long been decided.

The sweep at the hands of one of baseball’s worst teams marks another low point in a season already full of them. Minnesota now sits with the fifth-fewest wins in the majors, their post-trade deadline collapse accelerating a freefall toward the bottom of the standings.

What's Next
The Twins will look to regroup as they head out onto the road to face the similarly terrible Chicago White Sox. The series begins on Friday night at 6:40 pm CT, with Zebby Matthews on the mound for the Twins facing off against Aaron Civale.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Chart

	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	TOT
Hatch	81	0	0	0	0	81
Ohl	0	0	54	0	0	54
Topa	0	0	0	20	0	20
Kriske	0	0	0	16	10	26
Ramírez	16	0	25	0	25	66
Tonkin	16	0	0	0	32	48
Sands	14	0	0	17	0	31
Cabrera	9	0	0	20	0	29
Funderburk	0	0	0	7	0	7
Ureña	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

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[Mike Sixel]

Urena, Gasper, Julien, Clemens..... Should not be on the roster. 

[Nshore]

I'd like to believe this is about as embarrassing as it can get, but no - I think it can get worse.

[glunn]

I wish that there was some way to force at least one Pohlad to attend every home game to share in the humiliation.

At least the Twins are improving their chances of a top pick in next year's draft, which they may or may not bungle. 

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, glunn said:

I wish that there was some way to force at least one Pohlad to attend every home game to share in the humiliation.

At least the Twins are improving their chances of a top pick in next year's draft, which they may or may not bungle. 

Lewis and Lee not making me confident it matters. 

[NYCTK]

14 minutes ago, glunn said:

I wish that there was some way to force at least one Pohlad to attend every home game to share in the humiliation.

At least the Twins are improving their chances of a top pick in next year's draft, which they may or may not bungle. 

Twins now 4.5 games "behind" the Pirates. 3rd is probably the lowest they fall in the draft order odds. I don't think they're actually worse than the Pirates. 

[nicksaviking]

8 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Lewis and Lee not making me confident it matters. 

The well has been poisoned. You can't cleanse it by getting rid of all the players, so getting rid of leadership is the only option. I think this is clear as day to anyone who has followed this team, including the Pohlads. They can say they like Baldelli and Falvey and think they've done the absolute best they could possibly do under the circumstances. But it does not matter. They need to decontaminate.

Obviously the biggest virus is the Pohlads, but not much can be done about that, however if they won't switch up leadership this off season (I know, they won't), that's just as big of a middle finger to the fans as trade deadline day.

[Mike Sixel]

12 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The well has been poisoned. You can't cleanse it by getting rid of all the players, so getting rid of leadership is the only option. I think this is clear as day to anyone who has followed this team, including the Pohlads. They can say they like Baldelli and Falvey and think they've done the absolute best they could possibly do under the circumstances. But it does not matter. They need to decontaminate.

Obviously the biggest virus is the Pohlads, but not much can be done about that, however if they won't switch up leadership this off season (I know, they won't), that's just as big of a middle finger to the fans as trade deadline day.

I just want results. Lewis, 1:1.....not good other than a short stretch (might be health related), Lee: 1:5 (not good, yet?). They are going to miss the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years.....how Flavey and Bladelli still have jobs is beyond me.

[CRF]

30 minutes ago, glunn said:

I wish that there was some way to force at least one Pohlad to attend every home game to share in the humiliation.

At least the Twins are improving their chances of a top pick in next year's draft, which they may or may not bungle. 

Howz about a Pohlad Dunk Tank? Put it up on the plaza and after every home loss, little Joe, or one of the other relatives, or Falvey...get to sit in it, as fans throw baseballs at the dunk button. They could charge 5 bucks a throw and make a pile of dough for their coffers.

[IndyTwinsFan]

21 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The well has been poisoned. You can't cleanse it by getting rid of all the players, so getting rid of leadership is the only option. I think this is clear as day to anyone who has followed this team, including the Pohlads. They can say they like Baldelli and Falvey and think they've done the absolute best they could possibly do under the circumstances. But it does not matter. They need to decontaminate.

Obviously the biggest virus is the Pohlads, but not much can be done about that, however if they won't switch up leadership this off season (I know, they won't), that's just as big of a middle finger to the fans as trade deadline day.

I couldn't agree more!

[Aggies7]

A’s have been one of the better teams since the ASB. They hit the ball “with authority” as they used to say. Been years since we could say the same thing about our own guys.

Please no more bad TBA/TBD starting pitchers. It’s making a bad situation even worse.

[IndyTwinsFan]

Disgusting.  Pathetic.  Embarrassing.  Uncalled for.

Pick your term, as they all apply equally well here.

[Parfigliano]

33 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Lewis and Lee not making me confident it matters. 

I have more confidence in Lee then Lewis.

[glunn]

25 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

Twins now 4.5 games "behind" the Pirates. 3rd is probably the lowest they fall in the draft order odds. I don't think they're actually worse than the Pirates. 

They won't "catch" the White Sox or the Rockies, but I think they have a shot at the Pirates.

[RpR]

[sweetmusicviola16]

Though I didn't enjoy deadline day I actually had a ton of hope that day. But with the news since that day that the Pohlad's would retain control and Rocco would return and Falvey will be continuing, that hope is completely gone. I continue to check in only because it's something to do. I don't look forward to the "hope" that we'll be "competitive", meaning we are asked to get excited about a 83-79 team that can compete in a weak division in the "competitive" seasons. I want more. I want legitimate WS teams to be built. This regime has proven they aren't up to that task. 

[glunn]

10 minutes ago, CRF said:

Howz about a Pohlad Dunk Tank? Put it up on the plaza and after every home loss, little Joe, or one of the other relatives, or Falvey...get to sit in it, as fans throw baseballs at the dunk button. They could charge 5 bucks a throw and make a pile of dough for their coffers.

Great idea!

I would pay an extra dollar for every pihranna they include on the tank, and an extra $100 if they use a very large tank with a starving great white shark.

[mikelink45]

The refusal to bring up the pitchers they got in trades emphasizes the fact that they're playing to lose and really don't care about the rest of us and what we might enjoy

[sweetmusicviola16]

5 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

The refusal to bring up the pitchers they got in trades emphasizes the fact that they're playing to lose and really don't care about the rest of us and what we might enjoy

Abel and Walker the guy they got from Tampa should be here.

[USAFChief]

16 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

A’s have been one of the better teams since the ASB. They hit the ball “with authority” as they used to say. Been years since we could say the same thing about our own guys.

Please no more bad TBA/TBD starting pitchers. It’s making a bad situation even worse.

The A's and the Twins are currently not even close to being in the same level.

 

[chpettit19]

37 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I just want results. Lewis, 1:1.....not good other than a short stretch (might be health related), Lee: 1:5 (not good, yet?). They are going to miss the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years.....how Flavey and Bladelli still have jobs is beyond me.

Does it make you feel any better if Lee was actually 1:8? How about knowing the Pohlads save money by paying Falvey to suck at 2 jobs instead of just 1?

[The Great Hambino]

1 hour ago, glunn said:

I wish that there was some way to force at least one Pohlad to attend every home game to share in the humiliation.

One cannot shame that which is shameless

For them to feel humiliation, first they’d have to actually care about the team and what the fans think.  Second, they’d have to have the capacity to feel human emotion.  Doubtful on both counts

[Patzky]

31 minutes ago, glunn said:

Great idea!

I would pay an extra dollar for every pihranna they include on the tank, and an extra $100 if they use a very large tank with a starving great white shark.

I bet TC Bear would be happy to keep pushing Pohlad under water.. by the summer his lung capacity should be so much better 

[Vanimal46]

40 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Please no more bad TBA/TBD starting pitchers. It’s making a bad situation even worse.

Two interesting nuggets I heard on the Skor North Twins podcast today.

The players Declan Goff spoke with in the clubhouse also hate TBD days because it puts pressure on everyone to not screw up the game.

Also, he mentioned that Joe Pohlad has still not addressed the team since the trade deadline. Which I guess is normal for other owners. However, you would think after a historic sell off of 10 players he would want to show up and give empty platitudes like “We’re behind you guys!”

[IndyTwinsFan]

Plain and simple.  The people who should care (Pohlad ownership group) clearly don't and those who do care (the fans and probably the players) aren't in a position to do much of anything meaningful about it. 

Means we have, at best, a second or third rate team that few people want to spend any time, effort, or resources on.  And it's showing all throughout MLB, which I think should be embarrassing to the ownership, but clearly isn't. 

How did we ever get to this level?

[IndyTwinsFan]

44 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

The A's and the Twins are currently not even close to being in the same level.

 

The A's are clearly head and shoulders better right now.

[Doctor Gast]

We were disappointing before the deadline. After the deadline, the Twins might have the worst record in that time. There are some the Twins have given a long leash, maybe it's time to bring in new blood to see what they can do. Especially pitching. Some hitters are frustrated & said they'll go back to their old swing & abandon the approach the Twins want. Maybe we'll see some change for the better,

Supposing our hitting problems were because of Popkins. Toronto was terrible last year & they quickly picked him up & now they turned it around. Rooker seems to be doing very well with the A's. Could it be possible that Twins don't have an idea what they are doing? 

[darwin22]

1 hour ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

Disgusting.  Pathetic.  Embarrassing.  Uncalled for.

Pick your term, as they all apply equally well here.

I could use several other  "choice words" beyond those that you expressed, but I would likely get banned for life.

Can ANYONE tell me why Mick Abel wasn't called up to pitch today instead of that rag arm Urena?

Abel was on 4 days rest and has been fantastic with the Saints since getting traded.  What value does Urena offer for the future?  Answer:  NOTHING!!

Diehard fan for over 50 years that is VERY CLOSE to checking out on this pathetic organization.

 

[cheeseheadgophfan]

I was trying to find something positive to write about.......I came up with nothing.

I don't know how to post a poll....but how about this one???

Worse play by play announcer?

Dan Gladden

or

The A's female play by play lady.  

????????

[IndyTwinsFan]

17 minutes ago, darwin22 said:

I could use several other  "choice words" beyond those that you expressed, but I would likely get banned for life.

Can ANYONE tell me why Mick Abel wasn't called up to pitch today instead of that rag arm Urena?

Abel was on 4 days rest and has been fantastic with the Saints since getting traded.  What value does Urena offer for the future?  Answer:  NOTHING!!

Diehard fan for over 50 years that is VERY CLOSE to checking out on this pathetic organization.

 

I thought some of those, too.  But purposely left them out for the exact reason you stated.

I also agree with your checking out statement, and I've been a fan for about 55 years.