Minnesota Twins vs Oakland Athletics Box Score on Jul 29, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 30, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Rajai Davis hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth inning, lifting the Oakland Athletics to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins and giving manager Bob Melvin his 1,000th career victory.

The walk-off RBI was the ninth of Davis' career, and the walk-off homer was his second.

After pinch-hitter Adam Rosales worked a leadoff walk, Davis launched reliever Taylor Rogers' 1-0 pitch over the left-center field fence. Rogers fell to 5-3 and 0-for-3 in save opportunities.

Davis went 4-for-5 with a double to go with his home run and scored twice for the A's, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

Daniel Coulombe (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory

Miguel Sano hit his 24th home run of the season for the Twins. Sano hit a two-run shot off A's starter Chris Smith in the fifth inning, increasing the Twins' lead to 4-1.

Zack Granite went 2-for-4 with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the second inning. Eduardo Escobar had two hits and scored a run.

A's rookie third baseman Matt Chapman hit a solo home run to deep left off reliever Buddy Boshers with two outs in the eighth, cutting Minnesota's lead to 4-3. The home run, which came on a 2-0 pitch, was his sixth of the season.

Rogers got the final out in the eighth inning but blew the save in the ninth.

Smith allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings in his fourth career major league start, all coming this season at age 36. He struck out four, walked three and got a no-decision. Smith's streak of quality starts ended at three.

Twins rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia allowed two runs in five innings and got a no-decision. He gave up eight hits, struck out two, walked two and threw 97 pitches

. Ryon Healy went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run for the A's.

The A's took a 1-0 lead in first inning when Davis launched a leadoff double to the left-center alley and Healy brought him home with a one-out double to left.

Minnesota scored twice in the second inning, grabbing a 2-1 lead. Eduardo Escobar grounded a leadoff single to right, Eddie Rosario walked and Robbie Grossman beat out a bunt to load the bases. Granite lined a two-run single to center.

Smith walked Jason Castro, reloading the bases, but he got Brian Dozier to ground into a force play at home and struck out Max Kepler and Sano.

Kepler and Sano got their revenge against Smith in the fifth inning. Kepler hit a leadoff single, and Sano lined Smith's 3-1 fastball for an opposite-field, two-run shot to right, extending the Twins' lead to 4-1.

Oakland cut Minnesota's lead to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Healy led off with a bloop double to right and scored when Yonder Alonso blooped a single to left with two outs.

NOTES: Oakland RHP Sonny Gray's next start was pushed back from Sunday against Minnesota to Monday against San Francisco, on the day of the non-waiver trade deadline. Gray has drawn trade interest from multiple teams, and pushing his next start back a day eliminates the possibility of an injury before the 1 p.m. Pacific deadline. A's RHP Jharel Cotton (right thumb blister), who had been slated to pitch Monday, will be activated from the disabled list and pitch Sunday. ... Twins CF Byron Buxton (left groin strain/migraine headaches) played his second rehab game for Triple-A Rochester and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He's scheduled to play for Rochester again on Sunday, and if all goes well he'll rejoin the Twins on Monday during their off day in San Diego, then start in center field on Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series against the Padres, manager Paul Molitor said.