Early home runs from Lee and Larnach vanished in a late-game meltdown as Oakland’s relentless rally punished Minnesota’s relief corps and exploited critical defensive miscues in center field.
The Minnesota Twins fell to the Athletics 7-4 after Minnesota couldn’t hold an early lead, with the Twins' bullpen falling apart in the sixth inning.
Connor Prielipp got the start for the Twins, coming into the game with a 5.57 ERA. He was coming off a six-inning, six-earned-run outing against the Padres in his last start.
He was helped mightily with three solo home runs early by the Twins. Brooks Lee and Trevor Larnach hit high exit velo long balls to give the Twins a 2-0 lead by the second inning. Kaelen Culpepper added a home run of his own to stretch the Twins' lead to three before the second inning came to a close.
In the bottom of the second, Prielipp allowed back-to-back hits, but then was able to get three consecutive outs to end the inning and neutralize the threat by the A’s.
He wasn’t so lucky in the fourth inning, however. Tommy White, who had three hits on the night, hit a hard ground ball that bounced above Kody Clemens' head and off his glove into the outfield. That hit sent Lawrence Butler to third, setting up a first-and-third situation.
Michael Stefanic then slapped a ball down the left field line and scored Butler to bring the A’s within one.
The Twins tried their best to respond, but couldn’t get anything going until the sixth inning. Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers both picked up singles. While on first and second, respectively, Clemens lined a hit into center field, but a bad jump by Bell prevented him from scoring. Royce Lewis then stepped in with an opportunity and hit a deep fly ball to left field, scoring Bell and extending the Twins' lead to 4-2 on a sacrifice fly.
Connor Prielipp was pulled in the sixth inning and that was the beginning of the end for Minnesota. The Athletics scored four runs that inning. Jonah Heim had the hit that chased Prielipp, before White singled off Andrew Morris. Jeff McNeil then doubled down the left-field line, scoring one. Alika Williams stepped up with two outs and a one-run deficit and delivered, hitting a ball just over Keaschall’s head in center field, scoring White and McNeil and giving the A’s their first lead of the game, 5-4.
Darell Hernaiz added a run before the inning’s close to give the A’s some cushion, and Lawrence Butler joined the party with a no-doubt solo home run in the seventh.
When it was all said and done, the Twins' bullpen allowed four earned runs in 2.2 innings and squandered a lead that the offense and Prielipp had provided. They were also hurt by multiple poor plays in the outfield by center fielder Luke Keaschall.
