A's notes: Failures with runners in scoring position an oddity in Twins series

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OAKLAND -- The A's went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in Sunday's 5-1 loss, finishing their three-game series with the Twins an astounding 0-for-21 in that stat.

“That does not happen very often with us,” A's manager Bob Melvin said. “We're usually pretty good with runners in scoring position. We were not this series.

"Usually those things tend to even out. Unfortunately they didn't even out today.”

For the season, Oakland ranks sixth in MLB with a .268 batting average with runners in scoring position.

Some other notes from the day at the Coliseum ...

-- A's right-hander Trevor Cahill has allowed three or more runs in five consecutive starts, and he owns an ERA of 7.45 during that stretch. But Melvin thought he looked better against the Twins.

“I actually thought his delivery and his stuff -- the movement on his stuff -- were really good, some of the best we've seen,” Melvin said. “All things considered, I think it was a step in the right direction for him. The last time we saw him, he was completely out of whack and hurting a little bit. You could tell within his delivery, it just wasn't smooth. But I think he looked OK today.”

Cahill agreed" “My stuff was a lot better. I was able to command a lot better for the most part. I just couldn't get that out when I had to.”

-- Matt Olson blasted his 28th home run of the season to extend his career high. Those 28 homers also lead all American League first basemen.

"It's nice to see some results, for sure,” Olson said. “The more the merrier, but wins are No. 1 right now.”

-- A's catcher Jonathan Lucroy threw out his 27th attempted base stealer of the season, extending his major league lead. Lucroy also recorded his 79th assist of the season, an Oakland record for catchers.

-- J.B. Wendelken pitched a scoreless ninth to lower his ERA to 0.71. The young righty has allowed only one earned run in 12 2/3 innings for Oakland this season.

-- A's starting pitchers have a streak of 37 consecutive games of seven innings or fewer. A's starters have pitched 807 1/3 innings this season. The fewest in a non-strike season in A's history is 858 2/3 in 1997.

-- The A's fell to 39-20 since the All-Star break, still the best record in Major League Baseball.

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