Minnesota @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2009 ) Oakland 0, Minnesota 8
Unlike Armando Galarraga, Dallas Braden has thrown a perfect game.
Braden likely will be inundated with questions today about Galarraga’s controversial near-miss when the Oakland Athletics open a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins.
The buzz around baseball has been about the ramifications of a blown call that cost Galarraga a perfect game in the Detroit Tigers’ 3-0 win over Cleveland on Wednesday.
Galarraga beat runner Jason Donald to the first base bag on a ground ball by at least a step. But to the disbelief of everyone in the stadium – including Donald – umpire Jim Joyce called him safe.
The Detroit right-hander had to settle for a one-hit shutout and an apology from Joyce afterward. On Thursday, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said he would not reverse the call but that the league would look into expanding replay.
As a fellow pitcher, Braden will certainly have an opinion on the issue - one which he knows all about.
The A’s left-hander etched his name into the record book by throwing the second perfect game in franchise history and the 19th all-time in a 4-0 win over Tampa Bay on May 9.
Braden, however, has other things on his mind these days besides the hot-button topic in the majors – such as trying to get back in the win column.
He is 0-3 with a 4.12 ERA in four starts since throwing his gem against the Rays. On Saturday, Braden was rocked for five runs and 11 hits in six innings of a 10-2 loss to Detroit.
The 26-year-old is 0-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four starts vs. Minnesota.
The A’s return home after a 6-4 road trip that concluded with a wild 9-8 victory over Boston on Thursday. Kurt Suzuki hit two of the Oakland’s season-high four home runs in an unexpected power display. The A’s had entered the game with just 33 homers - third fewest in baseball.
They shouldn’t expect that to continue against Twins starter Scott Baker (5-4, 4.48). He has won all four of his previous starts against Oakland, posting a 3.24 ERA in that span.
In his most recent start against the A’s, Baker allowed three runs and four hits in eight innings of a 10-5 win on July 9, 2009.
The right-hander is seeking a second straight win after limiting the Texas Rangers to three runs and eight hits in six innings of a 6-3 win Sunday.
Baker will try to help the Twins snap a season high-tying three-game skid. The Twins managed just five baserunners in the final 27 plate appearances against Felix Hernandez in a 4-1 loss to Seattle on Thursday. Minnesota fell to 1-3 on a seven-game road trip that ends in Oakland.
The Twins will be without right fielder Michael Cuddyer for a second straight game. Cuddyer was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his father-in-law. Cuddyer is hitting .279 with seven homers and 29 RBIs. Rookie Danny Valencia went 1-for-3 Thursday in his first big league start in place of Cuddyer.