Twins hit into new issues against left-handed pitchers, shut out by Athletics

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 24, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MINNEAPOLIS — For all the talk about how the Twins could upgrade their bullpen at the upcoming Aug. 3 trade deadline, a new pressing concern is figuring out how to hit left-handed starting pitching.

The Twins tallied two hits in a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Athletics on Friday at Target Field to begin a six-game homestand. It was the third time their offense was shut out this season, and it came against an A’s team that had lost 13 of its previous 15 games.

Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez, who entered with a 4-4 record and a 6.64 ERA, overpowered a Twins lineup that has scored three or fewer runs in five of their last seven games. Lopez yielded one hit over five innings.

Twins starter Zebby Matthews allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings. The Athletics took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning after Donovan Walton drew a one-out walk, and Tommy White hit a double off the right field wall for the first hit of the game.

After another walk loaded the bases, Lawrence Butler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

The A’s added another run in the sixth inning when Henry Bolte lived up to his last name by opening the frame with an infield single. Two batters later, Tyler Soderstrom poked an RBI single through the left side of the infield.

Most of the Twins meager offensive performances since the All-Star break can be attributed to lefty starting pitchers. In four games against lefties — facing Cubs lefties Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga, along with Cleveland’s Parker Messick — the Twins offense has totaled 14 hits and three runs in 23 2/3 innings.

Lopez walked four batters, and hit one more, so he wasn’t at his sharpest. It didn’t matter.

The Twins had two runners on base with two outs in the third inning after Austin Martin drew a walk and Byron Buxton was plunked by a pitch. Lopez struck out Ryan Jeffers in a seven-pitch at-bat.

In the fourth inning, the Twins had two runners in scoring position through a pair of walks and stolen bases. Brooks Lee hit an infield pop-up to end the threat.

Martin, who reached base three times and drew a standing ovation from the announced crowd of 26,128 after he made a running catch into the left field wall to end the eighth inning, hit a one-out double in the fifth inning. Martin didn’t advance.

A’s right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning, issuing free passes to three of the four batters he faced. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay called upon lefty José Suarez to face Lee, and he was out of the inning within two pitches after Lee grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Athletics even used lefty Hobie Harris to pitch the ninth inning, earning his first save of the season in 17 appearances, to keep Twins left-handed hitters Trevor Larnach, Kody Clemens and Alan Roden on the bench.

Harris plunked Luke Keaschall with a pitch before ending the game with a double play grounder.