Ryan Kreidler homered and Zebby Matthews tossed seven innings of one-run ball as the Minnesota Twins opened a three-game series against the Athletics with a 9-6 win on Monday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Josh Bell drove in three runs, Luke Keaschall and Kody Clemens each had two RBIs and Kaelen Culpepper had a career-high four hits for Minnesota, which tallied 16 hits and snapped a three-game losing streak. Byron Buxton added three hits and four runs.
The Athletics trailed 9-2 before scoring four runs with two outs in the ninth. Jeff McNeil doubled home two before Zack Gelof and Lawrence Butler followed with RBI doubles. Andrew Morris replaced Yoendrys Gomez on the mound and retired Tommy White for his fourth save.
Matthews (8-8) won his fourth straight start, allowing six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Henry Bolte and McNeil had three hits apiece and Butler produced two hits and two RBIs for the American League-worst Athletics, who have lost six of their last eight games.
Minnesota claimed a 1-0 lead with one out in the first inning on Bell’s RBI double high off the center field wall against Jeffrey Springs (3-12).
Buxton doubled to begin the third inning, moved to third on Ryan Jeffers’ groundout and scored when Bell grounded softly to first.
The Athletics put their first two runners on in the bottom of the third, but managed just one run after Gelof grounded into a double play and Butler followed with an RBI single.
Kreidler turned on a 2-1 fastball to begin the fifth inning for his sixth homer of the season. With runners on the corners and two outs, another run scored on Clemens’ single to center.
Springs gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
The Twins tacked on three runs in the sixth, starting with Keaschall’s two-run double against Hayden Juenger. With one out and the bases loaded, Kade Morris entered and allowed a run on Bell’s sacrifice fly.
Minnesota added two runs in the eighth on RBI singles by Clemens and Culpepper before the Athletics pushed a run across in the bottom half of the inning on White’s sacrifice fly.
