Twins 6, Athletics 4: Roughing up Cahill with no problems

The A’s came into Target Field as one of the pleasant surprises of the 2018 season. While the Twins are seeing what they’ve got for 2019, these games are meaningful as shit right now for Oakland, especially in a hypercompetitive AL West.

So of course the Twins won. Their 5-3 victory cost the Athletics a half-game to the idle Astros and Mariners.

Oakland opened the scoring with a majestic Khris Davis solo dong off Kohl Stewart, his 39th. A Stephen Biscotty grounder made the score 2-0.

Trevor Cahill was unable to hold the lead, as the Twins tied it up in the 3rd with the help of run-scoring, 2-out singles from Eddie Rosario and Jorge Polanco. They continued battering Trevor Cahill in the 4th, with a pinch-hit double from Mitch Garver plating two (Bobby Wilson sprained his ankle backing up a base in the top of the 4th and had to leave the game). Joe Mauer added an RBI single.

Stewart got perilously close to getting a shot at the decision, but a double, a wild pitch, and another double chased him from the game with two outs in the 5th. He finished with six strikeouts (good!) and seven hits. Alan Busenitz got out of the jam thanks to a fantastic Eddie Rosario outfield assist/Garver fake-out at the plate.

From there, the bullpens for both teams took over, with the only damage coming from a massive Max Kepler solo dong in the 8th, matched by a similarly crushed Jed Lowrie dong in the 9th. Trevor Hildenberger had no other issues and picked up the save.

STUDS: Garver, bullpen, Rosario.

DUDS: Cahill, the invisible possum that tripped up Wilson

ROBOT ROLL CALL:

See you in the morning.