Inside The As

Minnesota Twins Win Series Opener in Sacramento

In dominant fashion, the Minnesota Twins handed the Athletics their 7th straight loss and capitalized on their mountain of mistakes.
Jun 2, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Kody Funderburk (55) and Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vázquez (8) celebrate after the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images
Jun 2, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Kody Funderburk (55) and Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vázquez (8) celebrate after the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

On a warm, breezy night in West Sacramento, it was the same story it has been for the A's over the last few weeks. The green and gold once again could not capitalize in pivotal moments, with runners in scoring position and leaving the bases loaded. The hitters seemed lifeless at the plate, and could not make productive outs to get runs on the board for Luis Severino.

Severino (1-5) took the loss on Monday night, allowing eight runs on nine hits and one walk over 5.2 innings. Just a few days ago, he celebrated 1,000 career strikeouts but tonight only tallied one as he was hit hard by the Minnesota Twins lineup. While none of them hit the long ball (shocking, right?) the entire starting lineup collected a hit, with four batters having multi-hit games.

The Twins simply just overwhelmed the A's and as the deficit grew larger, the A's chances of mounting a comeback were slim. This has been a pattern for the A's in later innings: not being able to keep the game close enough to start any kind of rally. Manager Mark Kotsay mentioned in his postgame comments the team was "hurt by costly mistakes" and these mistakes are continuing to pile on as their losing streak continues.

The A's have lost seven games in a row now, and 18 of their last 19.

The A's will hope that Game 2 looks a little bit different from the jump on both sides of the ball.
First pitch is set for Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park at 7:05 PDT. A starting pitcher has not been announced for the A's just yet, so there could be a new face taking the ball for the A's on Tuesday.


Published
Bridget Mulcahy
BRIDGET MULCAHY

Bridget Mulcahy is a freelance journalist and baseball author based out of Sacramento, California. She attended University of California, Davis where she earned her degree in Communications and Professional Writing. In 2018, she began covering the Sacramento River Cats at Sutter Health Park including the 2019 Pacific Coast League champion season. She has built her own website and social media presence where she writes about all aspects of baseball and provides a fresh, insightful perspective on the game.

Share on XFollow bridgetmmulcahy