OAKLAND, Calif. — Bailey Ober struck out 10 in a four-hitter for his first career complete game and the Minnesota Twins used a seven-run second inning to rout the Oakland Athletics 10-2 on Saturday.
Ober (7-4) needed just 89 pitches to finish the game while tying a career high in strikeouts and walking none. He allowed two runs on solo homers by JJ Bleday and Tyler Soderstrom in the first two innings.
Manuel Margot hit a three-run homer in Minnesota's big inning against JP Sears (4-7). Jose Miranda and Carlos Correa each had three hits for the Twins, who snapped a three-game skid.
The A’s had won three of four before Saturday’s defeat in front of an announced crowd of 9,299.
Margot, who got his 700th career hit on a leadoff single in the first, blasted his three-run shot to kick off the scoring in the second. The Twins sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, with the first six reaching base.
Sears, who has lost four straight starts, lasted just 1 1/3 innings while allowing eight runs and nine hits. He also hit three batters, including consecutive hitters in the first that forced in a run.
After Margot’s homer in the second, Miranda – who also had three RBIs – knocked in a pair to make it 6-1. Byron Buxton and Kyle Farmer each had RBI singles to cap the seven-run frame.
Bleday, whose solo homer tied it for the A’s at 1 in the first, extended his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games.
Soderstrom's homer in the second cut Oakland's deficit to 8-2.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: OF Max Kepler (neck spasms) was not in the lineup for the second straight game after leaving Thursday’s game while sliding headfirst into first base. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Kepler felt better Friday and was available off the bench.
Athletics: IF Abraham Toro (strained right hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list and IF Armando Alvarez was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move. Alvarez entered the game in the eighth as a defensive replacement, making his MLB debut.
UP NEXT
LHP Hogan Harris (1-0, 2.37 ERA) is scheduled to start for the A's against RHP Pablo Lopez (6-6, 5.63 ERA) for the Twins in the final game of the three-game series.
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