OAKLAND, Calif. — On a night Kelso High grad Trevor May made a forgettable big league debut, the Minnesota Twins pulled off a major rotation change in a matter of hours.
The Twins traded veteran right-hander Kevin Correia to the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers late Saturday after losing 9-4 to the Oakland Athletics, clearing the way for left-hander Tommy Milone to join the rotation.
The Twins, who will receive a player to be named or cash, will start Milone on Monday in Houston. They acquired him at the July 31 deadline from Oakland for outfielder Sam Fuld.
“We are really excited to get him. We didn’t want to give up Sammy Fuld,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We got a nice pitcher out of the deal, a guy that knows how to pitch in the big leagues, good track record. We’re going to get him up here. … We’ve made a spot now, and he’s going to get the ball.”
With May long gone Saturday, Derek Norris hit a three-run homer, and Stephen Vogt added a two-run shot for Oakland.
May threw 11 balls among his first 19 pitches and received a mound visit from pitching coach Rick Anderson after issuing a bases-loaded walk to Norris. But left fielder Josh Willingham fielded Josh Reddick’s shallow fly and threw home for a nifty double play to save May further damage in a 21-pitch first.
Anderson was out again after May’s three two-out walks loaded the bases in the second. Donaldson followed with a two-run single.
May (0-1), winless in his last three outings for Triple-A Rochester, walked seven while throwing 63 pitches on a cool night when the 6-foot-5 right-hander’s parents traveled from Southwest Washington to be in the stands. The last Twins pitcher to walk seven was Francisco Liriano on Aug. 9, 2011, against Boston.
“Tonight’s game, our kid just had a hard time. He just couldn’t gather himself enough,” Gardenhire said. “Let him try it again here when his time’s up the next time. This is what it is. You get in the big leagues it’s different than anywhere else when you’re pitching. He’s got to be able to regroup and gather yourself a little bit, and he just couldn’t get it.”
Long man Samuel Deduno relieved and gave up both home runs.
Jeff Samardzija (3-1) improved to 3-0 at home since coming to the AL West-leading A’s in a trade from the Cubs on July 4. He followed winning lefties Jon Lester and Scott Kazmir, who kept Minnesota in check over the first two games of the series, with six tough innings that forced him to throw 109 pitches.
Samardzija allowed seven hits and two runs, struck out five and walked two as the A’s earned their first three-game winning streak since six straight victories July 3-8.
Oakland’s bullpen extended its scoreless innings streak to 29 2-3 innings before Jordan Schafer’s eighth-inning RBI double off Dan Otero. The A’s relievers set the mark Friday night at 28 2/3.
