Trailing Effort Falls Short
The Athletics faced a steep hill on Sunday at Target Field, ultimately falling 11-8 to the Minnesota Twins despite a persistent offensive showing that kept the game competitive for much of the afternoon. The loss drops the Athletics to 44-61 on the season, while the Twins improve to 53-54.
Minnesota’s offense exploded for six runs in the second inning, leveraging a combination of wild pitches and timely hitting to take control. The scoring began with a balk that brought Jackson home, followed by another balk that scored Jackson again while advancing Martin and Lee. Jeffers then singled to right field, driving in Lee and Martin to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Twins added another run in the fourth inning when Kreidler scored on a throwing error by catcher Heim.
Twins Extend Lead Late
Minnesota continued to pile on the pressure in the seventh inning. Walton walked to start the frame, allowing Soderstrom to score. McNeil grounded out, letting White score, and Cortes hit a sacrifice fly to bring Butler home.
Keaschall followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Clemens. The Twins’ offense remained active in the eighth, with Kreidler tripled to center to score Lee, and Jeffers reaching on an infield single to drive in Kreidler, making it 11-6.
The Athletics managed to chip away at the deficit in the ninth. McNeil singled to right, allowing White to score, and Cortes grounded into a fielder’s choice, bringing Walton home. The final score stood at 11-8.