After being swept in three games over the weekend by the San Diego Padres, the Minnesota Twins could have carried the disappointment into a new week.
Instead, Minnesota pounded out 16 hits in a 9-6 win over the Athletics on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Josh Bell drove in three runs for the Twins, who will continue the series on Tuesday night in West Sacramento, Calif.
Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said he was pleased with his team’s performance after the Twins were outscored 21-8 over the weekend.
Byron Buxton had three hits and four runs in Monday’s victory, while Zebby Matthews tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Ryan Kreidler added a solo home run and rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper had a career-high four hits.
“It was a really big response,” Shelton said. “Coming off the tough last three days, we came out early, and it kind of started out with (Buxton). Having him on base four times, and then Zebby settled in and did a really good job.”
Kreidler was raised near Sacramento in nearby Davis and was greeted by a large group of family and friends after the game. His blast was his sixth homer of the season and his first since June 28.
Buxton was 3-for-his-last-27 before breaking out at the plate on Monday. He has struggled since returning from the injured list on Aug. 13, but Shelton saw encouraging signs in Monday’s win.
“The quality of at-bats were really important,” Shelton said. “Overall, I just thought (Buxton) was a little more patient today. I know he swung at some first pitches, but I think overall in his at-bats he did a good job of staying within his zones.”
The American League-worst Athletics have lost six of their last eight games, but rookie center fielder Henry Bolte continues to be impressive. He had three hits on Monday and is 30-for-87 (.345) with six three-hit performances in 22 games this month.
“He’s put together a great month,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s still got a full month left to continue to gain this experience and make improvements on his overall game, which is exciting.”
Left-hander Gage Jump (5-8, 4.83 ERA) will start for the Athletics on Tuesday. He allowed five runs over four innings in a 6-2 road loss to the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
“He didn’t have his best command and didn’t have the best feel for his changeup,” Kotsay said. “The fastball command was really the issue, and when you don’t have that, it’s tough to navigate.”
Jump, 23, is 2-7 with a 6.94 ERA over his last 10 starts after going 3-1 with a 2.04 ERA over the first six outings of his career. He will make his first career appearance vs. Minnesota on Tuesday.
The Twins will counter with right-hander Taj Bradley (9-5, 3.90 ERA), whose winless streak reached seven starts last Wednesday, when he allowed one run over five innings in a no-decision against the Atlanta Braves in a game Minnesota won 6-4.
The outing was a step forward for Bradley, who has a 5.40 ERA in four starts this month covering 20 innings. He is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in two career starts vs. the Athletics.
–Field Level Media
