Oakland A’s Game # 18: Doubleheader shutout sweep! 10-game winning streak! Luzardo throws out lights!

Aren’t you having fun?!?!

If not, I don’t know what else a baseball team can offer.

The Oakland A’s won their 10th game in a row on Tuesday, sweeping a double header off defending AL Central champions Minnesota Twins. The final score at the Colosseum was 1-0 in seven innings, and in combination with their 7-0 victory in the afternoon, this marks the first time the A’s have thrown shutouts in both halves of a doubleheader. since Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter in 1974.

And to top it all off, Oakland moved into tie for first place in the AL West just two weeks after narrowly avoiding their worst start in franchise history.

*** Click here to revisit tonight’s pin thread! ***

After stacking on the scoreboard in today’s first game, the A’s managed to score only one run in the evening affair. Fortunately, that was all they needed, but the most encouraging thing was how they got it: crowds, smart approach and coupling.

The start of the 4th inning, Matt Olson gave a perfect example of how to beat a defensive shift. The pitcher gave him a 1-2 offer low and away, and instead of trying to pull it into a stack of eight defenders, he reached down and turned it the other way. With the left side of the infield wide open, it rolled on easily for a hit, and then Olson pushed it further to break through for second base and challenge the left fielder.

Olson slid in safely with a push of double. He got there despite weak contact on an otherwise not great pitch to hit, as he took whatever the opponent handed him and aggressively forced them to make extra plays. The next batter flew out to medium RF, and Olson tapped and advanced to third, like he was Rickey Henderson or something.

Two batters later, Seth Brown drilled a 107.4 mph liner in the center for a single, bringing Olson home. Call it an Oly Run.

That was already Brown’s second hit of the evening, as he also doubled off the wall in his previous at bat. He now slugs .500 to 29 at bats, hitting the ball as hard as everyone on the team, and had he gotten just a little more under this RBI-single, it would have been three runs. We may have just found our new left-wing outfielder.

Luzardo throws out the lights

After being suppressed by Sean Manaea in the opening game, Minnesota was looking for all the runs they could accumulate in the second half of the twin bill. However, they came across Jesus Luzardo exactly at the wrong time.

The young lefty got off to a slow start this year, with an 8.31 ERA through three gigs and no real quality outings yet. But he was out of reach tonight, allowing only three hard hits, and only one in the air.

• Luzardo: 5⅓ ip, 0 runs, 6 mph, 1 BB, 2 hits, 65 places, 86.0 mph EV

The Twins didn’t reach second base until the 6th inning, and that was only because of a passed ball. At one point, he retired 11 batters in a row, and nearly a quarter of his pitches resulted in a swing-and-miss (15-of-65, or 23%).

Another important stat regarding Luzardo, who returned to with his signature glasses after three games in contact lenses. I can’t argue with math.

Perhaps the lefthanded man could have worked even longer in the game, but he was interrupted in the 5th inning because he threw out the lights. Or at least the lights went out while he was throwing really well.

Minnesota singled with one out in the 5th, its first baserunner since the 1st inning, and then both teams returned to their dugouts. The problem was literally outside the left field, as in the LF row lights had gone out.

Several minutes passed and no one knew exactly how long this would take. We saw it go an hour and a half earlier, the night of Mike Fiers’ no-hitter in 2019.

But then! A lamp wakes up!

Come on little buddy, you can do it!

Good luck! Just under 25 minutes later, we were back in action and Luzardo struckout the next batter and then caused a popout to end the inning. Apparently these were enough lights to qualify.

I think we all know what really happened here.

Although, if we’re being honest, the seven-inning games probably helped the A’s today. If your opponent doesn’t score for 14 frames, it’s a good thing you didn’t have to give him four more chances to try, especially against your bullpen. We only have to think as far back as Sunday for an example of a team finally breaking through in the 8th and 9th.

Bullpen locking

Luzardo finally retired in the 6th with one out and a runner on second base. The bullpen took five outs to seal it.

In the last few close games we saw Lou Trivino threw the last inning, but tonight the situation dictated that he had more sense for it. The Twins had two tough right-wing batters ahead, Mitch Garver and Josh Donaldson, and Trivino came in and took them both out. Runner stranded in scoring position, with only three outs to go.

That has gone Jake Diekman for the 7th, which was basically the 9th in this shortened doubleheader game. A batter reached base (HBP), then a strikeout followed. Another batter reached base (badly-timed error by SS Elvis Andrus), then another strikeout. That brought up Willians Astudillo, which swung at a height of 1-2 and launched a mighty ride, 110 meters to the left field. Back, back, back …

… and caught on the wall, by Mark Canha, to end the game. Holy. Toledo.

It wasn’t quite his Joe Rudi catch from last year’s playoffs, but it was enough to seal this win and knock us off the edge of our seats.

It just doesn’t get much better than this. The A’s are winning not just every day but now several times a day, and they are doing it in the most exciting ways possible. Dingers and timely hits on the plate, hustled the foundation paths, including four steals in the opening game, highlight defense, and dominant pitching from both their rotation and bullpen. Tuesday was great right down to the last out.

Defense from the couch

Speaking of high-profile defense, Canha wasn’t alone in making a nice catch. There was a 373 foot drive to CF through Garver that was tracked down by Ramon Laureano, and also a pair of grabs by two bench players better known for their bats.

In the 2nd inning, Brown came in for RF’s dive.

And in the 5th, 2B Vimael Cars was looking for his own sliding gem.

The two catches were in almost the same location on the field.

What more can you say? The A’s are currently pulling incredible efforts from every spot on their roster. Not just in terms of a hot streak, whatever they are, but things like hustling on base and finishing every defensive game. Hustle can win games, like it absolutely did today, and it never collapses if you don’t want to.

The A’s are now 11-7 overall, and level with the Mariners for first place. One day they will lose again, but for now they have won 10 consecutive matches and are showing no signs of slowing down. Ride the wave!