OAK 5, MIN 4: Rogers Gives Up Walk-Off HR

Win Expectancy (via Fangraphs)

Oakland struck first in this one, but the Twins built a 4-1 lead by the top of the fifth inning. The A’s climbed back into it by scoring a run on a two-out single in the fifth and a two-out solo homer in the eighth.

Rogers came in to bail out Buddy Boshers, who gave up that homer, and recorded the final out of the eighth inning. He opened the ninth by getting up 0-2 on Adam Rosales, but eventually walked him. Then Davis blasted a 1-0 pitch into the night to finish off the Twins. This was Rogers’ fourth-straight appearance allowing a run.

https://twitter.com/NBCSAthletics/status/891520027689492481

Adalberto Mejia gave up a pair of runs over 5.0 innings, and it took him 97 pitches to get that far. He gave up eight hits, walked two batters and had two strikeouts. Mejia has certainly been one of the bright spots this year, but he’s only completed six or more innings in four of his 16 starts.

In the second inning, Zack Granite hit a bases-loaded two-run single. The Twins managed to load them up again that inning, but Max Kepler and Miguel Sano both struck out.

https://twitter.com/BaseballByTom/status/891475561662611457

Sano would later hit his 24th homer of the season, a two-out opposite-field liner.

https://twitter.com/TheRenderMLB/status/891491760488280064

Sano also made a spectacular catch in foul territory, colliding with the tarp … okay, maybe it didn’t happen exactly like that.

https://twitter.com/MLBGIFs/status/891515395731070976

Joe Mauer drew three walks, and Aaron Gleeman passed along this interesting tidbit on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AaronGleeman/status/891513386604707841

Postgame With Paul Molitor

https://twitter.com/fsnorth/status/891523938173329408

Bullpen Usage

Here’s a quick look at the number of pitches thrown by the bullpen over the past five days:

Sunday

Twins (Bartolo Colon) at Oakland (Jharel Cotton), 3:05 pm CT

Sonny Gray was originally scheduled to start this game. He’s the hottest name on the trade market right now, so it’s no surprise to see the A’s opt not to roll him out there right before the deadline. Instead, the Twins will face Cotton in his first start since July 7 (blister). Cotton has struggled in 14 starts this year, posting a 5.17 ERA

Colon has given up seven runs on 16 hits in his 9.0 innings pitched for the Twins over two starts. Bartolo spent the 2012 & 2013 seasons with the A’s, and has outstanding numbers at the Coliseum. In 224.1 innings, Colon has a 2.93 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in Oakland.