Joe Mauer had five of Minnesota's season-high 20 hits as the Twins absolutely demolished the A's 12-2 Friday night at the Coliseum.
Jack Cust provided the lone highlight for the A's with a two-run homer, his 24th of the season.
Dan Meyer's error in the second inning meant that only two of the six runs that scored in the top of the second innning were earned, but that only spared his ERA and not the A's. In reality, his performance was simply inadequate. He only lasted 1.2 innings and was responsible for all six runs that crossed the plate in the second. Before he was chased, he had walked two and given up four hits, and had further eroded any confidence that he's a long-term answer as a back-end starter for the A's.
If nothing else, perhaps he can be the team's 2009 long reliever, because right now the team doesn't have one of those lined up either. Kirk Saarloos, like Lenny DiNardo before him, has lost some of the magic pixie dust he had in past. He too was shelled in relief of Meyer, to the tune of 12 hits and 5 earned runs over five innings. But it was his job to mercifully get the A's to the end of the game, and he nearly did after 96 pitches.
Santiago Casilla threw 2.1 innings to close it out.
Zooks and Frank Thomas had two hits apiece for the A's.
