A’s sweep doubleheader, extend win streak to 10
The Oakland A’s won their 10th straight game by sweeping a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins. The 10th win was a tight 1-0 win on Tuesday night mired by a lighting delay when the fixture atop Mt. Davis in left field went out in the middle of the fifth inning for a 25-minute delay. The game continued despite the lights not working still.
The A’s entered the night game after winning Game 1 handily 7-0 behind a Sean Manaea seven-inning shutout. Game 2 wasn’t colored by multiple home runs (including a grand slam) like the first game. But it did have a similarly dominant pitching performance.
Jesús Luzardo, who has struggled with consistency in his young big league career, came out with vengeance for his fourth start of the season. He dealt six strikeouts through 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
He was hurling 99 mph fastballs in the first inning, then simmered down to his typical 97 mph fastball and cruised through the Twins lineup a second time through.
The lighting delay interrupted the Twins’ strongest push to get a run across. Jorge Polanco knocked a curveball for a single before both teams left the field. When they returned with half the lights shining on the outfield, Luzardo struck out Brent Rooker swinging at a changeup and second baseman Vimael Machin traveled into shallow right field to rob Willians Astudillo of a bloop single to end the inning.
Luzardo didn’t issue a walk until Luis Arraez took a free bag to lead off the sixth inning. He struck out Ryan Jeffers and Lou Trivino replaced him after having thrown just 65 pitches.
Arraez moved to third base on a pair of passed balls, but Trivino struck out Mitch Garver and Josh Donaldson to end the inning.
The A’s didn’t get a run on the board until the fourth inning when Matt Olson doubled the other way, Matt Chapman advanced him to third and Seth Brown singled him home.