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Graveman pitches Athletics past Twins

[May 31, 2016] By Eric Gilmore, The Sports Xchange

OAKLAND, Calif. -- When he took the mound Monday against the Minnesota Twins, Oakland's Kendall Graveman hadn't won a game in 40 days.

Graveman had gone 0-5 with a 7.36 ERA over his previous six starts, but he ended that skid and helped the A's extend their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 victory against the Twins.

Graveman (2-6) gave up two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out five, walked three and threw 85 pitches.

"I think I put a little bit on myself to say 'Hey, right now, the next three to four weeks is huge for our ball club,'" Graveman said. "To go deep into games and get wins is something we really need to do right now."

Graveman looked more like the pitcher who went 1-1 with a 2.04 over his first three starts, a stretch that ended with a 5-2 victory against the New York Yankees when he gave up one run over 6 1/3 innings.

"The amount of movement in the zone that he had today and the conviction that he threw with, that was the story," A's catcher Stephen Vogt said.

Coco Crisp hit a leadoff home run for the A's, who ended the Twins' four-game winning streak.

Twins right-hander Ervin Santana (1-4) gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Santana entered the game with a 15-6 record and 2.03 ERA in 28 starts and 30 appearances in his career against Oakland.

"There's not much to complain about the effort we got from him," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Santana. "He pitched well.

"Not a lot offensively for us. It's a little disappointing, considering the matchup on paper and how we were swinging the bats. Once they got the lead, their bullpen did a great job of shutting us down."

The A's trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, but they pulled even when first baseman Yonder Alonso walked and scored on Marcus Semien's double off the left-center field wall.

Oakland took a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Jed Lowrie lined a leadoff single, moved to third on Vogt's double and scored on Khris Davis' sacrifice fly.

The A's escaped a jam in the seventh. After putting runners on second and third, John Axford struck out Brian Dozier for the second out. Sean Doolittle came on to face Joe Mauer, who was robbed by Alonso on a diving catch going to his right.

"Yonder saved runs right there," Crisp said.

Doolittle pitched a one-two-three eighth, and Ryan Madson a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

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Crisp gave the A's a 1-0 lead with his 16th career leadoff home run. He launched Santana's 1-0 pitch over the right field fence. It was the A's first leadoff home run of the season and Crisp's fifth blast overall.

"It's the same feeling as any other home run," Crisp said.

Santana said Crisp's leadoff blast didn't bother him.

"We need to score anyway, and I trust the offense to score," Santana said. "I just left a couple pitches up and that's what happens when you leave the ball up."

Minnesota pulled even with a run in the second then took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Center fielder Danny Santana lined a one-out single, moved to third on Eduardo Nunez' bloop single and scored on Dozier's sacrifice fly to right-center. A's right-fielder Chris Coghlan and Crisp collided on the play, but Coghlan held onto the ball, and both players stayed in the game.

"We banged knees, but it's all right," Crisp said.

Danny Santana left the game for a pinch runner in the seventh with a left hamstring strain. Molitor said Santana will go on the 15-day disabled list and that outfielder Byron Buxton will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester.

NOTES: Twins RHP Kyle Gibson (right shoulder strain) will be activated from the 15-day disabled list Thursday and start against Tampa Bay, manager Paul Molitor said. ... To make room for Gibson in the rotation, Molitor moved RHP Phil Hughes to the bullpen. Hughes, who has some experience as a reliever, is 1-7 with a 5.74 ERA in 10 starts. ... Oakland LHP Rich Hill had to exit his start Sunday against Detroit early because of a strained groin, but manager Bob Melvin said he might be able to make his next start Saturday at Houston. Melvin said he might push Hill's start to Sunday. ... Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe (bruised right knee) was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game but pinch ran in the seventh and stayed in the game at third. He'll likely start on Tuesday against the Athletics. ... Twins C Kurt Suzuki (concussion-like symptoms) was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game but was available off the bench and will likely start on Tuesday.
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