Recap: Oakland vs. Minnesota
Sports Network | August 30, 2008
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - Ryan Sweeney's sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the ninth allowed both the tying and game-winning runs to score when Joe Nathan threw the ball away at third, as the Oakland Athletics stole a 3-2 win from the Minnesota Twins, in the third contest of a four-game series. Nathan (0-1) started the ninth with a 2-1 lead but Bobby Crosby singled and Emil Brown was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Sweeney then proceeded to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners and Nathan fielded it but rushed a throw to third in an attempt to nab the lead runner. The ball bounced up the left-field line and both Crosby and Brown raced around to score for the 3-2 thriller. Huston Street (5-5) picked up the win with two spotless frames of relief. starter Dallas Braden gave the A's a chance by surrendering just two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and two walks while striking out a pair in six frames. Jack Cust hit his 25th home run of the season for Oakland, which has won three of four and six of 10 overall after a dismal stretch. Denard Span hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, which has lost two of three and six of eight overall. The Twins remained a half-game back for first-place in the AL-Central as the White Sox lost to Boston, 8-2, but dropped to 3 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card standings. Starter Francisco Liriano was dominant on the mound in allowing just the solo home run, one of five hits, while fanning six and walking none over seven innings in the no-decision. Both teams did their damage in the fifth inning as Span jacked his two-run shot in the top half after Alexi Casilla reached on a double, and Cust connected in the bottom portion to make it 2-1. Game Notes Oakland edged ahead in the season series 5-4 with the win...Minnesota is 4-6 thus far on its 14-game road trek...Sunday's scheduled starters are Scott Baker (7-4) for the Twins and Greg Smith (6-13) for the A's...Oakland has not won more than two games in a row since June 13-17 when they won four straight...It was Nathan's fifth blown save of the season...Delmon Young was 3-for-4 in the loss for Minnesota. Game Notes Oakland edged ahead in the season series 5-4 with the win...Minnesota is 4-6 thus far on its 14-game road trek...Sunday's scheduled starters are Scott Baker (7-4) for the Twins and Greg Smith (6-13) for the A's...Oakland has not won more than two games in a row since June 13-17 when they won four straight...It was Nathan's fifth blown save of the season...Delmon Young was 3-for-4 in the loss for Minnesota.
