Alex Kirilloff capped a four-RBI day out of the No. 9 slot in the order with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning, allowing the visiting Minnesota Twins to overtake the Oakland Athletics en route to a 5-4 victory Sunday afternoon and a three-game series sweep.
Attempting to snap his team’s six-game losing streak, A’s left-hander JP Sears had limited the American League Central leaders to two runs on three hits before Max Kepler ended his day with a one-out single in the seventh.
Down 3-2, Minnesota then loaded the bases against reliever Lucas Erceg (2-1) on Christian Vazquez’s walk and Edouard Julien’s pinch-hit single before Kirilloff belted his double to left field, plating all three baserunners and giving the visitors the lead for good.
Oakland got within 5-4 on a two-out double by Zack Gelof in the last of the seventh. But Emilio Pagan came on to strike out JJ Bleday to end the inning before throwing a 1-2-3 eighth.
That set the stage for Jhoan Duran, who recorded his third consecutive save in the series and 15th of the year despite allowing a one-out double to Shea Langeliers in the ninth.
The A’s scored the game’s first three runs, one in the second on Jordan Diaz’s sixth home run of the season, and two in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Diaz and an RBI double by Aledmys Diaz.
That was the last of the A’s scoring against Twins starter Joe Ryan, who was charged with three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out seven.
Jorge Lopez (3-2), who allowed Oakland’s final run in the seventh, was credited with the win.
Minnesota pulled to within 3-2 off Sears in the fifth on solo home runs by Vazquez, his second, and Kirilloff, his fifth.
Vazquez finished with two hits and scored twice for the Twins, who recorded a 5-4 win in the first game of the series before hanging on for a 10-7 victory on Saturday.
For Oakland, Sears went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits. He struck out seven and did not walk anyone.
Gelof had a single and a double for the A’s, running his hitting streak to all three games since being promoted from Triple-A on Friday. Jordan Diaz had two of Oakland’s four RBIs.
–Field Level Media
