Athletics 2, Twins 0: Twins Offense Can't Connect in Ugly Loss

Box Score
SP: Zebby Matthews 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (92 pitches, 52 strikes (57%))
Home Runs: N/A
Bottom 3 WPA: Brooks Lee (-0.44), Victor Caratini (-0.15), Ryan Kreidler (-0.09)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 

The Twins rode into town with some pep in their step having pull out a series split in Cleveland, with the atrocious Athletics waiting for them at Target Field. Zebby Matthews might have been coming off of two of his worst starts of the season, but opposing him was Jacob Lopez who was coming off of even worse starts. In fact, Lopez hadn't won since May, and the Athletics rode a 10-game losing streak into the All-Star Break and have lost three of their last four. The Twins stacked an all-righty lineup against the crafty Lopez, while the A's assembled a lineup of all the uninjured humans on their roster. On paper, this game looked like a win for the desperate Twins. On the field, the loss slowly and wildly unfolded for the home team.

Trading No-No's Through Four
Matthews was on point to start the game, facing the minimum with only a walk to ruin his perfect vibes. Unfortunately, Lopez was erratically on point as well. Austin Martin walked twice in the first three innings, and the Twins had runners in scoring position early and often, but Lopez was so wild that the Twins couldn't lock in for solid contact and went hitless as well through four innings.

A's Strike Limestone, Score First
Zebby's cruise control went offline at the start of the fifth inning when he walked Donovan Walton on four pitches. Tommy White went first-pitch hunting and sent a fly ball deep into right, but as Luke Keaschall could make a leaping attempt at the wall the ball caught the limestone overhang and bounced back into play. Luckily, Byron Buxton was ready to back up his teammate, and he kept the runners at second and third. Another walk loaded the bases, and Lawrence Butler made Matthews pay for his wildness with a sac fly to make it 1-0.

The Twins got a double from Martin to put yet another runner in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but Buxton and Ryan Jeffers both flew out to end yet another threat. Meanwhile, the Athletics smelled an opportunity to win a game for once, and they kept the pressure on Matthews in the sixth with seeing eye singles by Henry Bolte and Tyler Soderstrom to make it 2-0. 

City Connects Can't Connect
The Twins got into the A's league-worst bullpen in the bottom of hte sixth, and Geoff Hartlieb didn't disappoint. He walked Josh Bell and Royce Lewis to start the inning, but then struck out the hobbled Victor Caratini on three pitches. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Keaschall never got a strike to swing at and Hartlieb walked the bases loaded. Jose Saurez got the call to end the threat, and Brooks Lee obliged by reaching for an 0-1 changeup for the elusive but effective 5-3 double play. 

The Twins offense grounded out in order in the seventh, and immediately erased their second hit of the game in the eighth with yet another double play grounder by Bell. The bottom of the ninth? Caratini again looked lost in striking out, but Keaschall took one for the team to put the tying run up to the plate in Lee. Lee continued a rough night at the plate, this time ending the threat 1-4-3. 

No Moral Victories in Trade Deadline Week
Matthews pitched his way through a dismal 56% strike average towards a quality start. Martin dazzled in the field and at the plate, but saw the heart of the Twins lineup go 1-10 behind him. The A's found ways to get runners home from second, while the league-leading Twins went 0-8. That's how a team in search of the .500 mark continues to stay a few games under it.

What’s Next?
The Twins look to avenge this loss on Saturday night on Kirby Puckett jersey giveaway day. With a guaranteed 10,000 fans in the stadium, hopefully they aren't faced with another sad performance from an offense that has averaged "not enough runs to make the playoffs" since the All-Star Break. The Twins and A's have yet to announce their starters for the latest "must-win" game of Minnesota's season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm CDT.

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