OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Matt Chapman knows how close he came to scoring the winning run in the 10th inning.
Instead, the Minnesota Twins triumphed in the 12th when Mitch Garver hit a go-ahead single with one out to send his team past the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday night.
In the 10th, the A’s challenged whether catcher Garver tagged Chapman at home trying for the would-be winning run on Mark Canha’s slow chopper that third baseman Miguel Sano charged and fired home. The out call was upheld, though manager Bob Melvin said after the game, ”he looked safe to me.”
”It’s one of those plays that’s just bang-bang, it could go either way. I don’t know if video was conclusive enough to overturn something, especially when it’s going to end the game like that,” Chapman said. ”Obviously looking back on it now it’s a huge play and we’d love to have that go our way. That would have been huge. We had other opportunities to win the game, too.”
A’s closer Blake Treinen (2-3) issued consecutive one-out walks and Byron Buxton hustled home as the Twins won for just the second time in their last six games.
Late lineup addition Jorge Polanco hit a tying solo homer in the eighth for the Twins. That marked Minnesota’s 161st homer through 85 games, tying the pre-All-Star break record set by the Yankees last year.
Treinen returned from the 10-day injured list and though Melvin planned to use him at least once in a non-pressure situation initially, that wasn’t how it worked out in his first appearance since a shaky outing June 20, when he surrendered three earned runs to Tampa Bay without retiring a batter. Oakland needed him.
”We just want to make sure he’s healthy,” Melvin said.
Both teams missed chances in the 11th and the A’s in the 12th when Jurickson Profar was tagged out at second.
Blake Parker (1-2) worked out of trouble in each of his two innings for the win, striking out three. Taylor Rogers finished the 4-hour, 40-minute game for his 11th save.
”It took a lot. We’ve played a handful of games already this year similar to this one where it takes a mental fortitude from everybody involved to maintain your composure and continue to play,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. ”Our guys did that again. We’ve been tested in some pretty unique ways this year. For our guys to go out there again and grind this win out, it’s extremely satisfying.”
A’s second baseman Franklin Barreto committed consecutive errors on one play in the seventh – a fielding error when he didn’t step on the bag then a wild throw to first – and Minnesota got a run back. Initially Barreto was credited with making a putout at second against Ehire Adrianza but Twins challenged Adrianza was safe the call was overturned on review, then Adrianza was caught in a rundown going for home when Byron Buxton a squeeze.
Ramon Laureano hit a three-run homer off Twins starter Kyle Gibson in the second to give Mike Fiers an early cushion. Oakland has homered in eight straight games.
Fiers retired the first 14 Twins batters in order before Sano’s two-out double in the fifth. The Oakland right-hander, 6-0 over his last 11 starts, settled for a no-decision after allowing two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter for the sixth time this year.
Oakland dropped to 9-2 against the AL Central this season and 61-21 dating to Aug. 23, 2016.
ALL-STAR AGAIN
Right-hander Jose Berrios is headed to a second straight AL All-Star game after being added for next week’s Midsummer Classic in Cleveland when teammate Jake Odorizzi had to pull out because of a blister. Baldelli called after Berrios had finished breakfast Wednesday at the team hotel. ”I’ll be honest with you, I’ve been waiting for that call all week,” said Berrios, whose own blister on his pitching hand has completely healed.
”I’ve been throwing the ball pretty well,” he said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: DH Marwin Gonzalez was a late scratch because of a bruised right big toe he hurt fouling a ball off the foot Tuesday night. Gonzalez was going to have the toe examined to make sure it’s nothing serios, manager Rocco Baldelli said. Gonzalez was banged up in general needing a break and was listed as day-to-day. Polanco started in his place, batting third. … RHP Odorizzi went on the 10-day injured list with the blister on his right middle finger that he hurt during Tuesday’s losing start. Minnesota recalled RHP Zack Littell from Triple-A Rochester to fill the roster spot.
Athletics: Top prospect LHP Jesus Luzardo has had another setback. He came out of his start for Triple-A Las Vegas after four innings Tuesday and an MRI exam revealed a Grade 2 lat strain on the left side. There is no timetable for his return, the A’s said. … LHP Sean Manaea will follow up his 30-pitch bullpen session from Tuesday with another in the coming days before the A’s determine when to have him start a rehab assignment. Manaea had shoulder surgery in September then last month dealt with a sore muscle in his right side. … RHP Jharel Cotton, who had surgery last month on his strained right hamstring that he injured working back from Tommy John surgery, is set to throw live batting practice Thursday at Class-A Stockton.
UP NEXT
Berrios (8-4, 2.89 ERA) starts the afternoon series finale looking to bounce back from a loss his last time out and is trying to beat the A’s for the first time in four career starts. Oakland counters with RHP Tanner Anderson (0-3, 7.13) in his fifth career start.
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