Box Score
Starting Pitcher: David Festa – 3 2/3 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO
Home Runs:Â Matt Wallner (3)
Bottom 3 WPA: Festa (-.356), Larnach (-.080), Lee (-.065)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):
The Minnesota Twins came into Thursday afternoon with a chance to finish off a four-game sweep of the lowly Athletics. Instead, they got punched in the mouth early, stumbled to their biggest blowout loss of the season, and had to turn to a position player on the mound to just get through it.
Festa Falters in Opportunity
With Pablo López hitting the injured list, the Twins turned to top pitching prospect David Festa to fill his spot in the rotation. It was a tough assignment made tougher by circumstance, Festa hadn’t pitched in over a week and was thrust into action immediately after his call-up. It didn’t go well.
The A’s teed off on the right-hander, tagging him for eight earned runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Festa gave up three home runs, walked two, and served up a steady stream of hard contact as Oakland jumped all over him. The big blows included a pair of third-inning long balls from Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom, which turned a rough start into a disaster.
It was a tough break for Festa, who likely has a decent runway in the rotation given the expected length of López’s absence. But his first start on that runway did not go the way anyone hoped it would.
The Bullpen Didn’t Help
The back half of the Twins bullpen didn’t stem the bleeding. Jorge Alcala coughed up a three-run homer to Soderstrom, his second of the game, in the fourth inning, and the A’s added another in the fifth to push the lead to 12-1. It continued the drought for Alacala and only amplified the questions surrounding his spot on the Twins’ roster.
The Twins scraped together a couple late runs thanks to RBI from Ty France and Brooks Lee, but the damage had long been done.
A Position Player on the Mound
With the game well out of reach and a weekend series looming, the Twins turned to utility man Jonah Bride to mop things up on the mound. Bride tossed two innings in his first career Major League pitching appearance, a silver lining only in that it saved the bullpen from further wear and tear.
Road Trip in Perspective
The 13-2 loss prevented a series sweep, but not a series win. The Twins took three of four from the A’s and finished their grueling 10-game, 11-day, two-coast, two-minor-league-park road trip with a 5-5 record, a perfectly acceptable outcome given the circumstances.
What’s Next
Now, the Twins head home to Target Field, where they’ll open a weekend set against the Blue Jays. They’ll aim to flush this one and get back on track, hopefully with stronger outings from their reshuffled rotation.
Bullpen Usage
