The Twins decided this one before most fans had settled into their seats. Minnesota scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second, and though Oakland spent the rest of the night clawing back, the deficit was too deep to fully close. The Twins held on for an 11-8 win at Target Field.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| MIN | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | X | 11 | 13 | 0 |
Connor Prielipp gave Minnesota exactly what it needed from its starter, working 5.2 innings and allowing just 1 run on 2 hits with 5 strikeouts and 1 walk. He improved to 3-5 on the season with a 4.73 ERA, and was named the game's top performer for keeping Oakland off the board deep into the game while his offense built the cushion.
The Twins' first-inning burst started with Lewis grounding into a fielder's choice that plated Martin, then Clemens tripled to right and came around to score on a throwing error by shortstop Williams, with Lewis also scoring on the same play. Minnesota kept piling on in the second: Jackson scored on a balk, and Jeffers followed with a single to right that brought home both Lee and Martin. A throwing error by catcher Heim let Kreidler score in the fourth, pushing the lead to 7-0 before Oakland managed a single hit.
Jeffrey Springs never made it out of the second inning for Oakland, charged with 5 runs (4 earned) on 4 hits in just 1.1 innings before he was pulled, and fell to 3-10 on the season with a 6.23 ERA. The Athletics bullpen settled things down afterward, but the offense spent the rest of the game trying to dig out. Nick Kurtz cracked a three-run homer to center in the sixth, plating McNeil and Wilson, and Oakland pushed three more across in the seventh on a walk by Walton, a groundout by McNeil and a sacrifice fly from Cortes. Two more runs in the ninth, on a McNeil single and a Cortes fielder's choice, brought the Athletics within three, but Minnesota's cushion held.
Ryan Jeffers went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs, Ryan Kreidler added a 3-for-4 night with three doubles and a run driven in, and Kody Clemens chipped in a 3-for-5 effort with two triples. Minnesota, which improved to 53-54 and has won two straight, got the offensive support its bullpen needed after Prielipp departed, with the relief corps combining for 7 runs allowed over 3.1 innings. Oakland fell to 44-61, having dropped two in a row.