Game #154: A's Shut Out Twins in Rout; Magic Number Down to 2!

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope wherever you are--at the Coliseum, on the freeway, home watching the game, that you are as excited as I am! The A's have shaved their magic number to 2--today's best possible outcome--with a drubbing of the Twins. C'mon, wherever you are, "LET'S GO OAK-LAND!"

The best part of A's baseball to me is the friends you meet while rooting for the A's. My Facebook feed has been entirely taken over by A's magic numbers, my friends who have very little in common come together to be best friends--real best friends--for the entirety of the playoff runs, and the A's; they just keep on winning. Tonight, Colon easily earned his 17th win, pitching 6 scoreless innings of 5-hit baseball, allowing but one walk and striking out 8. Tune up for the playoffs, Colon! He was relieved by Milone and Scribner, and no one really even came close to allowing a run. The same could not be said for the Twins, who committed four errors en route to giving up 11 runs. The A's put up several innings of crooked numbers; three in the second, five in the fifth, and two in the sixth (and a bonus run in the fourth) to total their 11 runs.

Our very own Yoenis Cespedes, cortisone shot and all, put the A's first run on the board in the second inning with his 25th home run of the year. Derek Norris doubled to follow that act, and with two outs, Josh Reddick singled him in. Barton singled, and because the ball was misplayed by right-fielder Oswaldo Arcia (who looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world than in right field tonight), Reddick scored the A's third run.

Derek Norris singled to open the A's fourth inning, and stole second base. An errant throw sent him to third base, and Callaspo singled him in. But the A's were just getting warmed up for the fifth inning. Josh Donaldson walked with one out, and Jed Lowrie singled him to second. Derek Norris was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, bringing up Chris Young. Young's at-bats continued to rob him; he hit a ball that should have gone past the third baseman and scored three runs, but instead, the third baseman got to the ball, made an errant throw, which....scored three runs anyway. To be fair, the first baseman for the Twins Cadillac'd the play both on the bounce, and in running after it, which allowed all three runs to score. Callaspo would single Young in from second, move to third on a Reddick single, and score on a wild pitch.

The A's would add two more in the sixth, as Crisp walked, and Donaldson--selfishly, before Coco could steal a base--hit a two-run home run to cap off the A's scoring. This offense put up 11 runs, with a bit of help, but 1-0 or 11-0, it didn't matter. The A's have won 91 games on the season, and are close, soclose, to clinching the American League West. Don't miss AN tomorrow and Sunday, where the A's will try to take it at home for their fans, who deserve to Celebrate for real.

We'll see you back tomorrow at 1:05, Jarrod Parker vs. Pedro Hernandez. C'mon everyone, LET'S GO OAK-LAND!