Ninth-inning rally sinks Twins
Davis drives in go-ahead runs, then Hendriks slams door
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. >> Carrying a one-run deficit into the ninth inning, the A’s rallied for a 5-4 win Saturday night over the Minnesota Twins.
Mark Canha started the rally by getting hit by a pitch, and Ramon Laureano cracked his 24th double of the year to bring Khris Davis A’s (Mengden 5-1) at Twins (Pineda 6-5), today, 11:10 a.m., NBCCA
up. Davis knocked a tworun single off Ehrie Adrianza’s glove.
Liam Hendriks endured some drama in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out. But Mitch Garver grouned into a double play to retain the A’s (57-42) win.
The A’s faced Twins starter Jose Berrios, who toted a 2.32 home ERA when he took the mound.
Berrios was positively electric, departing the game after 113 pitches having thrown 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball -- leaving the A’s four innings to chip away at one of the better bullpens in the league (its 4.26 ERA ranks sixth in the American League).
Canha tied things up with one big swing on Zack Littell’s slider offering, and Laureano followed suit, going back-to-back to give the A’s a 3-2 lead. It was Laureano’s 20th home run of the season and extended the
A’s home run streak to 20 games.
Brett Anderson combated Berrios’ flame with tame waters. Mitch Garver and Nelson Cruz rocked two iffy pitches out of the park to give the Twins the only two runs they’d need. And it’d be all Anderson would allow. After a Miguel Sano double that first inning, Anderson retired the next 14 batters he faced, his sinker generating weak contact with a slider that drew key
swings and misses.
But the home run bug came back to bite Anderson in the seventh. Miguel Sano launched his 3-2 slider 114 mph 443 feet into the left field’s third deck to tie things up and give Anderson the boot. It was the first multi-home run game for Anderson since a May start against the Seattle Mariners. He left the game with a blister on his left middle finger.
The Twins rallied against Yusmeiro Petit and Ryan Buchter, squeezing out a sac fly that gave them a lead heading into the ninth. LAUREANO IS IN A ZONE >> It
is evidenced by one singular play in the A’s win over the Twins on Friday night.
Laureano cracked what looked like a routine ground-ball single up the middle of the diamond and, sniffing out the extra maneuvers center fielder Max Kepler would need to turn the play, whipped off his helmet and gunned to second base for a double.
“That’s how he plays,” manager Bob Melvin said of the play. “He’s a very aggressive player, he’s always looking to take the extra base. He’s always looking to put the pressure on somebody in the outfield.”
Sure, Laureano’s improved tremendously on his discipline at the plate. A more consistent swing pattern formed the backbone to a silly rate of success spelled out into a July in which he’s batting .455 with a 1.000 slugging percentage (six home runs and 12 RBIS).
But Laureano’s magic seems to stem from his guts to use his pure athleticism, affinity for improvisation, and speed to go a bit off-script. The initial horror when he goes off the book and awe when his risks pay off. it’s a quality that’s shaped a few Bay Area sports icons.
Like, Rickey Henderson perhaps? Watch the two A’s run side by side, the intense arm motions and gusto draw parallels, Melvin said. “They’re low to the ground, very strong lower half,” he said. “So he looks like a guy who’s a high maintenance runner, turf’s flying everywhere, just a real strong lower half.”
But Henderson’s basestealing invincibility was baked into his game — it became a known variable that drew shock and awe throughout his 25-year career. Laureano is just 146 games into his big league career, so mystery still colors his game.
Those gaudy July numbers aren’t a product of ordinary routine, but his penchant for the extraordinary not only adds an extra layer of potency to this A’s offense, but is must-watch for Bay Area sports fans. CHAPMAN STARTS >> After a brief cameo in Friday night’s 5-3 win, Matt Chapman was all the way back Saturday. Chapman’s hiatus from the A’s starting lineup came to an end as he was slotted back into his usual No. 2 spot in the order. He was 0 for 4 with a walk in his return.