Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs.
-- Tim McCarver
The same can be said of the A's starters, who have allowed only a half dozen runs (five earned) in 40-1/3 innings pitched during Oakland's six-game win streak. Fortune has surely smiled upon the A's of late, who have had a knack for catching teams at just the right time.
The Baltimore Orioles entered their weekend series with Oakland having scored eight runs in their previous five contests. And now we have the Minnesota Twins (28-30), who saw only five runners cross home plate in Seattle the past three days.
According to Twinkie Town, even their "players" are at a loss for their hitting woes, particularly away from the Metrodome, where the Twins are just 7-18:
Michael Cuddyer: "Because yesterday alone, I stubbed my toe, was hit in the back of the head with a baseball in batting practice, and was attacked by an extraordinarily angry family of ducks at the hotel."
Denard Span: "Because people keep calling me and singing a song called 'Let's Get Denarded.' IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE GET A LIFE PLEASE PEOPLE."
Matt Tolbert: "As it turns out, 'Grit your teeth, close your eyes, and swing hard' doesn't work on the road, either."
Joe Mauer: "I don't know, but I'll be darned if this won't end up being the blandest, most boring quote in the history of talking."
Stay cool, Twinkies; if you know what I mean.
Tonight Josh Outman (3-0, 3.02) takes the hill for the A's, and rookie right-hander Anthony Swarzak (1-2, 4.76) gets the call for Minnesota.
An old friend has returned to the bigs. Daric Barton is here, and Ryan Sweeney is the latest "A" to land on the disabled list.
Here are tonight's lineups:
