Minnesota Twins vs Oakland Athletics Box Score on Jul 28, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 29, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Left-hander Jaime Garcia threw 6 2/3 solid innings and picked up a victory in his debut for the Minnesota Twins, who defeated the Oakland Athletics 6-3 and ended their four-game losing streak on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Oakland Coliseum.

Garcia (5-7) allowed three runs and eight hits, struck out seven and walked two. He was acquired along with catcher Anthony Recker from the Atlanta Braves on Monday in a trade for minor-league pitcher Huascar Ynoa.

Jason Castro had two RBI doubles and scored a run for the Twins. Ehire Adrianza went 2-for-3 with a walk, drove in a run and scored once.

After missing two games with a bruised left hand, Miguel Sano returned to the lineup and went 1-for-5.

Khris Davis had two hits in three at-bats with a walk, an RBI and a run for the A's. Marcus Semien went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. Ryan Lavarnway hit a two-run double.

The A's lost their fifth straight game, and manager Bob Melvin remained stuck on 999 career victories.

A's rookie right-hander Daniel Gossett (2-6) allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 89 pitches and left the game trailing 5-0.

Twins right-hander Matt Belisle pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and closer Brandon Kintzler threw a scoreless ninth for his 28th save.

The Twins' first four hitters reached base in the second inning, but Gossett gave up only one run in a 29-pitch inning.

Eddie Rosario grounded a leadoff single to left, and Robbie Grossman walked. Zack Granite lined a single to center, but Rosario was thrown out at home on a relay from center fielder Rajai Davis to second baseman Adam Rosales to Lavarnway. Ehire Adrianza blooped an RBI single to left, driving in Grossman.

Minnesota scored four runs in the fourth, increasing its lead to 5-0 and knocking Gossett out of the game.

Gossett retired the first batter he faced in that inning, then allowed singles to Granite and Adrianza, an RBI double to Castro and an RBI single to Brian Dozier. Castro scored on a wild pitch, making it 4-0. Then Dozier scored from second on Sano's infield single when Lavarnway dropped first baseman Ryon Healy's throw home.

Garcia pitched his way out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the second inning, but the A's broke through for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Khris Davis drilled a leadoff double, Jed Lowrie walked, and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Lavarnway lined a two-run double down the left field line, his first big-league hit since 2015, to make it 5-2.

The Twins answered with a run in the sixth when Grossman and Adrianza singled and Castro hit an RBI double.

Oakland scored a run in the bottom of the inning when Marcus Semien doubled with one out, moved to third on Healy's single and scored on Khris Davis' single. Garcia got Lowrie to ground into a double play.

NOTES: Twins OF Byron Buxton (left groin strain/migraine headaches) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester and led off the game with a home run. Buxton started in center field and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Buxton initially landed on the DL on July 15 with a groin injury. The Twins planned to activate him on Tuesday, but migraines sidelined him that day and Wednesday. ... A's RHP Jharel Cotton (right thumb blister) will be activated from the disabled list Monday and start against San Francisco, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Cotton has been on the DL since July 4. ... A's RHP Kendall Graveman (strained right shoulder) is scheduled to make another rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Nashville. That could be Graveman's final rehab start before being activated, Melvin said. ... INF/OF Chad Pinder (strained left hamstring) will likely be activated from the disabled list on Monday, Melvin said. Pinder has been on the DL since June 24. He continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.