MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins completed their first sweep of the Athletics since 2012 on Sunday largely due to some solid relief pitching. Five relievers held Oakland to just two singles over the final 6 2/3 innings, and the Twins tied their longest winning streak in Target Field history with their ninth straight victory, 4-3 over the A's.
That's the good news. The bad news is why the bullpen help was so necessary.
Chris Paddack, the Twins righthander who has walked only one batter in four starts, called the team's athletic trainer to the mound in the third inning, and was immediately removed from the game with what the team said was elbow inflammation in his pitching arm.
Paddack, obtained in an April trade with San Diego that cost the Twins All-Star closer Taylor Rogers, is the fourth member of the Twins starting rotation to be sidelined in the season's first month, an ominous sign after a truncated spring training. Sonny Gray, Bailey Ober and Dylan Bundy have already visited the injured list (Bundy the COVID list), and Paddack appears likely to miss at least a start while the Twins assess his health.
Despite all the injuries — Paddack would become the 11th Twin currently on the injured list — the Twins just keep winning, their hot stretch now totaling 14 victories in their past 17 games.
Offensively, former Yankees Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela teamed up to provide one run for the Twins on Sunday, Sanchez with a second-inning double and Urshela a sacrifice fly that drove him home. Two innings later, the Twins put together four hits against Athletics rookie Daulton Jefferies, with Jose Miranda doubling home a run and Jorge Polanco driving in the tying and go-ahead runs with a single to center.
That was all the Twins needed to put away the reeling A's, who have now lost nine straight games. Paddack allowed a first-inning run on three singles, and after departing the game immediately after allowing a single to Sheldon Neuse and a double to Sean Murphy, Seth Brown greeted reliever Cody Stashak with a two-run single, giving Oakland a lead that turned out to be temporary.
Stashak then retired eight Athletic hitters in a row, Caleb Thielbar struck out three A's in his inning of work, and Joe Smith erased a Polanco throwing error by inducing a double play from Christian Pache. Tyler Duffey mowed down the A's in order in the eighth, and Emilio Pagan closed it out with a shutout inning, though a walk and a single by Christian Bethancourt put the ending in doubt until Christian Pache popped a soft liner into center field, where Polanco caught it.
After a Monday off, the homestand resumes Tuesday night with the Houston Astros at Target Field, where the Twins dropped two of three to the Astros last June. A victory on Tuesday would give them their longest winning streak ever at the downtown ballpark, and their first double-digit home streak since they won 13 straight in the Metrodome from June 11 to July 2, 2006. The franchise record is 15 straight home wins, set in 2003.
