Twins' Zebby Matthews Leads 9-6 Victory Over A's

Matthews Anchors Twins' Pitching Staff

Zebby Matthews delivered a standout performance for the visiting Minnesota Twins, securing a 9-6 victory over the Sacramento Athletics on Tuesday, August 25. The Twins starter logged seven full innings of work, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out seven batters. Matthews walked one batter and received the win, improving his record to 8-8.

His outing set the tone for a balanced offensive effort that ultimately overwhelmed the home club's rotation.

Twins Build Early Lead

Minnesota established its advantage early in the first inning. Josh Bell doubled to left field, scoring Aaron Buxton and advancing Matt Jeffers to third base. The play was confirmed after an umpire review upheld the initial call.

The Twins added another run in the third inning when Bell grounded out to first base, allowing Buxton to cross the plate. The Athletics responded in the same frame, with Nick Butler reaching on an infield single to shortstop that scored Tyler Bolte.

Kreidler and Clemens Extend Gap

The Twins widened the lead significantly in the middle innings. In the fifth, Matt Kreidler homered to left field, a shot that traveled 399 feet. Clemens followed with a single to center, scoring Buxton.

The offensive surge continued in the sixth inning, where Keaschall’s double to left field scored Culpepper and Lee. Bell then hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Kreidler. By the end of the sixth, Minnesota led 7-1.

A's Rally Falls Short

The Athletics attempted a late rally in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, Clemens singled to center, scoring Buxton, while Culpepper reached on an infield single to second, scoring Bell. The A’s added a run when White hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bolte.

In the ninth, McNeil doubled to right, scoring Bolte and Heim. Gelof followed with a double to center, scoring McNeil, and Butler doubled to center, scoring Gelof. Despite the late surge, the Athletics could not overcome the earlier deficit.

Jeffrey Springs took the loss for Sacramento, pitching 4.2 innings while allowing seven hits and four earned runs. The Twins finished the day with a record of 64-68, while the Athletics fell to 51-81. Attendance at Sutter Health Park was 8,149.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816662