Here are three thoughts following Oakland's win over the Twins on Saturday:

1. FROM BAD TO WORSE: The inexperienced players are making more mistakes. There's been bad play at first base the past two nights. The Twins' minus-154 run differential is second worst in baseball. The will set a club record for being shut out in a season - they are facing too many good pitchers over the final week of the season. The starting roation ERA is the worst. It's ugly. They look like roadkill. And they will be teed up against teams fighting for playoffs of postseason seeding the rest of the way.

2. PINTO: The lone real bright spot on Saturday with two hits, one a home run. He blocked some tough pitches in the dirt. And he hustled to track down the ball when it got past Colabello. ``You see him and he has no fear," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. ``He one-handed a ball into the seats, hes fun to watch. He comes to play and does his job. He doesn't stand around watching someone else do it."

3. DREAMING: Two pitchers I'll be happy to take off Oakland's hands if they don't have room for them next season: Tommy Milone and Brett Anderson.