Minnesota Twins vs Oakland Athletics Box Score on Sep 23, 2018

The Minnesota Twins denied the Oakland Athletics a chance to clinch a playoff spot on their home field Sunday afternoon, riding the strong pitching of Kyle Gibson and a two-run home run from Jake Cave to a 5-1 victory in Oakland, Calif.

The loss by Oakland (94-62) kept Tampa Bay (87-68) alive entering the final week of the regular season. The Rays still can earn the second American League wild-card spot by sweeping seven straight from the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays, if at the same time the A's lose all six remaining games against Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels.

All remaining Rays games are at home, while the A's will wrap up the regular season with six straight on the road.

The A's, who had a four-game winning streak snapped Sunday, enter the final week 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees (95-60) in the race for the AL's first wild-card spot and the home-field advantage should they meet in the single-elimination game next week.

Cave gave the Twins a lead they would never relinquish by hitting Trevor Cahill's 15th pitch of the game for a two-run home run with one out in the top of the first. His 12th homer of the season also scored Joe Mauer, who had led off with a single, for a 2-0 lead.

Matt Olson's 28th homer, a solo shot leading off the second inning, got the A's back within 2-1. But that was the last time Oakland scored against Gibson (9-13), who worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits. He walked three and struck out three.

The Twins made Gibson's job easier with a three-run fourth inning that sent Cahill (6-4) to the showers.

After a one-out error on Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman opened the door, Max Kepler singled in one run, Ehire Adrianza doubled in a second and Chris Gimenez made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly.

Cahill was pulled after 3 1/3 innings, having allowed five runs (three earned) and five hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Trevor May pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam to preserve Minnesota's four-run lead in the eighth inning, then worked around a one-out walk in a scoreless ninth to end the Twins' two-game losing streak and register his first career save.

Cave, Mauer and Adrianza collected two hits apiece for the Twins, who went 5-5 on a 10-game trip to finish the season with a 29-52 road record, 15 games worse than last year's 44-37 mark.

The Twins (72-83) finish the season with seven home games, three against Detroit and four against the Chicago White Sox.

Olson had three hits, while Stephen Piscotty and Ramon Laureano chipped in with two each for the A's, who again can clinch their postseason invitation on Monday with either a Tampa Bay home loss to the Yankees or a win later in the evening at Seattle.

--Field Level Media