Sports

Twins' Red-Hot Bats Cooled Off By A's Starter Chavez

May 5, 2015 / 10:05 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins were on a hot streak, but Jesse Chavez cooled the bats on a rainy Tuesday night at Target Field.

Chavez struck out seven and allowed one unearned run in 7 1-3 innings to help the Oakland Athletics snap Minnesota's five-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory.

The Twins had racked up 39 runs in their previous five victories, but had no answer for Chavez (1-2). The right-hander gave up four hits and needed just 87 pitches for his first victory of the season.

"We had been rolling pretty good offensively," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I don't know if he took it personally or what, but he went out there and threw a lot of fastballs."

Trevor May (2-2) gave up two runs on five hits and struck out three in 5 2-3 innings. Torii Hunter had two hits for the Twins, who were looking for their first six-game winning streak since 2011.

Chavez was masterful in his third start of the season, pitching as though he had no intention of returning to the bullpen anytime soon after starting the season there. He used all four of his pitches, painting the black to keep a Twins offense that had scored 39 runs during its five-game winning streak completely off balance.

"He was wired today," Hunter said of Chavez. "His day."

Billy Butler had two hits and an RBI and Bill Burns added two hits and a stolen base for the Athletics. Tyler Clippard went 1 2-3 innings for his third save in four chances.

Chavez needed just 62 pitches to get through six innings, but left the mound in a huff in the eighth after first baseman Ike Davis made a throwing error to squander a potential inning-ending double play.

Brian Dozier followed with a flare off Evan Scribner to get the Twins on the board, but Clippard struck out Hunter and got Joe Mauer to fly out to left field to strand the tying run on third base.

The A's got on the board in the first inning thanks in part to a fortuitous bounce. Butler lifted a fly ball down the right field line and Hunter made a long run and leaped at the wall to try to bring in the third out of the inning. But his left arm hit the wall hard and the ball popped out, and Butler followed with a base hit to right to score Burns.

"I felt like it was in my glove," Hunter said. "Ended up being a run on the next pitch. I hate that it turned out that way."

Brett Lawrie drove in the other run for Oakland, a bloop to right off of Brian Duensing in the sixth.

MAY DAY

May pitched very well for the Twins, allowing just five singles while trying to match Chavez. But when his pitch count topped 100 in the sixth inning, Molitor went to get him in favor of the lefty Duensing. Two hits later, it was 2-0.

"I wanted to eat as many innings as possible," May said. "That's a thing that I try to hold myself accountable for doing to let the bullpen guys get in a flow."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Athletics: Manager Bob Melvin said OF Coco Crisp is closing in on joining the team. He's been on the disabled list since April 4 after needing surgery on his right elbow. Crisp was getting treatment in Oakland on Tuesday and Melvin said a decision on his return will likely be made on Wednesday. ... LHP Sean Doolittle, who has been on the disabled list since April 4 with a strained left rotator cuff, threw 25 pitches in a bullpen. Melvin said he could throw to hitters on Friday in Seattle.

Twins: RHP Tim Stauffer (rib strain) has started playing catch, GM Terry Ryan said. Stauffer when on the disabled list on Friday. ... RHP Casey Fien (right shoulder strain) has yet to begin throwing after going on the disabled list on Thursday.

UP NEXT

The Twins send RHP Kyle Gibson (2-2, 3.56) to the mound for Game 3 of the series against LHP Scott Kazmir (2-0, 1.62). Gibson is coming off of a stellar outing in which he pitched eight scoreless innings to beat the White Sox. Kazmir ranks third in the American League in ERA and is holding opponents to a .178 batting average.

Minnesota Twins
Oakland Athletics