by Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s started a four-game set in Minnesota with the Twins Monday night. The game was a battle of right-handed pitchers. Jesse Hahn was looking for his second win of the season and he was opposed by Phil Hughes. Hughes was 0-4 entering the game and looking for his first win. The A’s had a chance to chase Hughes in the first inning, but could not get the key hit they needed to break the game open.  The Twins, who are playing well, came from behind twice and were able to keep the A’s at bay as they won the game 8-7.

The A’s scored four times in the first. They loaded the bases for Stephen Vogt and Vogt put the ball into the right-field stands to give the A’s an early 4-0 lead. The A’s continued to hit Hughes well. Ike Davis singled and Brett Lawrie doubled to put men on at 2nd and 3rd with one out, but Hughes was able to get the next two hitters and get out of the jam.

The Twins came back in the bottom of the second and tied the score at 4. The bottom of the Twins order caused the A’s fits all night. The rally was started by the Twins’ designated hitter, Kennys Vargas, who singled to right/Left-fielder Eduardo Escobar also singled to put two on with no out. Jordan Schafer doubled to drive in Vargas. Shortstop Danny Santana reached on an infield hit driving in Escobar with the Twins’ second run of the inning. Leadoff hitter, Brian Dozier, doubled to drive in two more runs to tie the game.

The A’s took the lead again in the top of the sixth. Big Mark Canha hit a tape-measure home run into the second deck in left field to make it a 5-4 game. The Twins scored four times in their half of the sixth to take the lead for good. Jesse Hahn gave up two hits to start the sixth and A’s manager Bob Melvin decided that Hahn was done for the night and he replaced by R.J.Alvarez. Alvarez gave up a single to Schafer to tie the game, but he managed to get two out before he had to face the ever dangerous Torii Hunter. Hunter responded by turning on a fastball and hit a line shot down the leftfield line for a three-run homer. Twins lead 8-5 after six.

The A’s scored a run in the top of the eighth to make it a 2 run deficit and they scored a run in the ninth.The Twins had the closer, Glen Perkins on the mound to end the game, but the A’s did not go down easy. Josh Reddick singled and took second on defensive indifference. Reddick scored on a double by Vogt that just missed going out of the park. The A’s needed a hit to tie, but Perkins struck out Craig Gentry to win it for Minnesota.

Game notes- The A’s are now 2-2 on the 10 game road trip and their record for the year is 11-16. The Twins, on the other hand, are hot. They have won five in a row and are at 14-12 and in third place in the very tough central division just behind the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.

The A’s hitting stars were Stephen Vogt who went 3-for-5 with a home run, double and five Rbi, Billy Burns and Brett Lawrie with two hits each. Josh Reddick singled in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.  The Twins hitting stars were  Vargas, Escobar, Schafer, Santana and Hunter. Hunter had the big three-run homer and the other four hitters went 9-for14 in winning the game for the Twins.

Phil Hughes went six innings won his first game of the year. The A’s touched him for 5 runs and 9 hits but their starter, Jesse Hahn, did not have a good outing. Hahn went 5 plus innings allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and took the loss. His record for the year is 1-2. The A’s bullpen allowed 2 runs or more for the 12th time in the last 18 games. Part of the problem is that the starters, other than Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir, are not going deep into the game and the bullpen is becoming overworked and, perhaps, tired. The A’s need the starters to go six, seven and eight innings and allow the bullpen to regroup.  A’s closer, Sean Doolittle, will be back soon, but the other members of the ‘pen have to pitch better if the A’s want to make the playoffs.

Game 2  will be played at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday at 5:05pm