Joe Ryan became the most recent pitcher to sign one in all the Major Leagues' weakest offensive teams on Thursday, and Carlos Correa continued his hitting streak because the Minnesota Twins beat the Athletics 6-2 at Target Field.
Ryan, of San Anselmo, improved his record to 5-5 by going seven innings for the fifth time within the last seven games. He allowed a house run to Tyler Soderstrom within the second inning and almost nothing else, giving up three hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
“He's a good starter. It's hard to get baserunners against him,” A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. “We reduced the strikeouts against him and put the ball in play, but no hard contact other than Tyler's home run.”
The Athletics struck out 18 times in a loss to San Diego on Wednesday and managed just seven against Minnesota, but there have been few baserunners with only three runners left on base.
Correa essentially decided the sport for Minnesota with a two-run home run against Sean Newcomb in the underside of the seventh inning and was 3-for-4. It was Correa's sixth home run of the season.
After Soderstrom's home run, the A's didn't put one other runner in scoring position against Ryan. Griffin Jax and Jorge Alcala closed the sport for Minnesota, which improved to 37-32 on the season while the A's fell to 26-45.
For the A's, it was the ninth loss within the last eleven games and the twelfth within the last 15.
Soderstrom hit a house run within the second inning for the Athletics, his fourth within the last eight games. Soderstrom, whose potential game-winning hit died against the left outfield fence against Toronto and San Diego recently, drove a Ryan pitch 430 feet to center field at 112 mph for his fourth home run of the season.
The home run gave Soderstrom a five-game hitting streak, and he achieved a batting average of .357 during that period.
“He left one up the middle and I hit it good,” Soderstrom told reporters. “I'm just trying to take it day by day, enjoy being up here and enjoy the process. I'm keeping my head down and continuing to work hard.”
Kotsay, who said before the sport he had a superb feeling about Soderstrom's approach, echoed that sentiment afterward. Soderstrom was a first-round draft pick in 2020 (No. 26 overall) who struggled last season after his promotion to the main leagues.
“The at-bats have been better,” Kotsay said. “He's showing signs of maturity, signs of growth and becoming the hitter we know he can be.”
Athletics starter Luis Medina (0-2) was finished after five innings after allowing eight hits, 4 runs (all earned) with one walk and three strikeouts. In his three starts since being recalled from Las Vegas, Medina has pitched 5 2/3, 4 2/3 and five innings.
Minnesota bothered Medina although they didn't get any walks, as he threw 102 pitches, 67 of which were strikes, before giving option to Vinny Nittoli within the sixth inning.
Ryan, alternatively, retired the last ten batters he faced, throwing 95 pitches in seven innings, 65 of which were strikes.
The Twins reached Medina for 2 runs within the second and tied the rating at 2-2 when Byron Buxton hit a single to center, bringing home Max Kepler and Carlos Correa.
Sode is on fire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pYD3v7MArP
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) June 14, 2024
Kepler opened the inning with a single to right and Correa, who entered Wednesday with a five-hit game and a 15-29 hitting streak, got lucky with a swinging bunt that Medina couldn't fend off. Both runners advanced when Medina threw a wild pitch three-quarters of the best way up the screen.
Correa struck again within the third inning when he hit a ground single past Zack Gelof at second base. He brought home Trevor Larnach, the previous College Park High star who had earlier been given a walk, and gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead. The Twins scored one other run within the second inning on an infield out by Austin Martin. The inning began with an infield single by Buxton and a single by Jeffers that moved Buxton to 3rd base.
Correa's home run within the seventh inning brought home Royce Lewis, who reached the primary with a single.
The Twins were more successful than the A's with a rating of 13:4.
NOTEWORTHY
— Soderstrom and Gelof collided within the second inning while chasing a foul ball off Ryan Jeffers' bat down the first-base line. Gelof caught the ball and was out, but hit Soderstrom in the pinnacle along with his elbow. Soderstrom was shaken up but stayed in the sport after being examined by the coaching staff.
“Everything's fine. Just a little confused,” Soderstrom said. “No problems.”
— The A's hit their seventieth double play of the season within the sixth inning. They entered the sport trailing Colorado by one point for the main league lead.
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