The Athletics opened their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. After suffering two consecutive losses to close out their previous series in Arizona, the “Green and Gold” got back in the win column, defeating the Twins 2-0 in one of the team’s best pitched games in recent memory. Starter Jacob Lopez turned in the quality start the team desperately needed, and left-handed reliever José Suarez came through in the biggest moment of the game.
Pitching Duel Early
Twins’ starter Zebby Matthews got
off to a good start, throwing a scoreless first inning. Lopez matched his counterpart, stranding a runner at second. In the second inning, Twins’ center fielder Byron Buxton made a nice catch to rob A’s third baseman Tommy White of a two-out, extra-base hit.
Matthews was perfect through three innings, retiring the A’s in order the first time through the lineup. In the bottom of the third, Lopez struck out Twins’ catcher Ryan Jeffers to escape a two-on, two-out jam and keep the game scoreless.
Athletics’ left fielder Tyler Soderstrom was the visitors’ first baserunner, drawing a one-out walk in the fourth inning. That did not spark a rally as the next batter, catcher Shea Langeliers, grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Lopez wiggled out of another jam in the fourth. He walked two and allowed three stolen bases, yet escaped without allowing a run as Brooks Lee popped out with runners on second and third and two outs.
A’s Strike First
Through four innings, neither team had collected a hit in this game. That changed in the fifth inning. With one out, Matthews walked A’s second baseman Donovan Walton. White broke up the no-hit bid with a double to right field, the first hit of the game.
First baseman Jeff McNeil walked to load the bases for Lawrence Butler, whose sacrifice fly scored Walton for the first run of the game. The inning ended on a base running blunder by White, who was overly aggressive trying to score from second on a wild pitch.
Lopez effectively wild
Left fielder Austin Martin broke up Lopez’s no-hit bid with a one-out double in the last of the fifth. Lopez buckled down, retiring the next two hitters to complete five scoreless innings and keep his team in front 1-0. He only allowed one hit and struck out four, yet his four walks, one hit by pitch and 50 of 91 pitches being balls show that Lopez still has work to do refining his control.
A’s Add On
A’s center fielder Henry Bolte led off the sixth with an infield single and then scored the visitors’ second run off Matthews on left fielder Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single to left.
Suarez Pulls Houdini Act
Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb replaced Lopez out of the A’s bullpen and walked the bases loaded. Suarez bailed out his teammate by getting Lee to ground into an inning-ending double play, nicely started by White at the hot corner. The Twins finished the game 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight on base.
Time to Gird
A’s pinch-hitter Alika Williams began the seventh inning with a single against Twins’ reliever Kody Funderburk. The “Green and Gold” failed to score for a third straight inning, stranding Williams at third base.
Suarez stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless seventh inning with three groundouts. Elvis Alvarado kept the shutout intact with a scoreless eighth inning. Jacob Wilson was a vacuum at shortstop, recording five straight outs and helping the team keep the Twins off the bases and the scoreboard.
Seeking insurance runs, Langeliers led off the ninth with a ground-rule double down the left field line. The A’s left him on second. White was robbed for a second time this game, as Martin made a nice catch on the fly ball off his bat while crashing into the left-field wall.
The Athletics prevailed in this series opener despite their inability to add on late. Hogan Harris completed the shutout, inducing a game-ending double play to secure his eighth save of the season.
The A’s will look to finally win a series tomorrow night. At this time, neither team has publicly announced its starter for the middle game of this weekend series. For the A’s, it could be right-handers Luis Morales or Mason Barnett making the start in what may end up being a bullpen game.
