A’s vs. Twins game thread

The green and gold are due for a win and hopefully today is the day

It’s hard to call a random road game in June a must-win, but the A’s have got to turn this ship around.

Losers of six straight and 2-8 in their last ten, the A’s have since moved to last in the American League West. They’ve lost six straight series, and 10/11 series overall since May 5. With another loss today, the A’s can at best clinch a series tie with the Minnesota Twins.

Today is Mitch Spence day which has generally been a positive sign. Whether pitching as a long reliever or as a starter more recently, Spence gives the A’s a chance to compete. He went seven innings of two-run ball in his last start on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays while not surrendering a single free pass.

Below is the lineup behind Spence tonight. The A’s have averaged 2.3 runs a game during their current six-game skid and are just as due for an offensive explosion as they are a win. They’ll face a tough task in Simeon Woods Richardson tonight, however.

Woods Richardson is a rookie right-handed arm who’s finally getting his first extensive opportunity and taking full advantage of it. In ten starts he’s 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA and is in the thick of Rookie of the Year talks in the AL. A mechanical tweak this offseason has seen Wood Richardson's fastball increase by nearly three miles per hour from 2023 while his spin rate has also jumped from 2109 to 2211.

Below is the lineup for the third-place Twins as written by manager Rocco Baldelli. A middle of the pack offense by most regards, the one thing the Twins do well at the plate is hit the long ball. They’ve hit just five less than the A’s this season which is good for ninth in all of baseball.

It’s been exactly a week since the A’s last cracked the win column so let’s put this losing streak in the past, shall we?

Enjoy your Friday nights y’all!