Harrison Bader slammed a two-run homer and Ryan Jeffers also went deep to help the Minnesota Twins notch a 6-1 victory over the Athletics on Wednesday night in West Sacramento, Calif.
Jeffers had two RBIs and Willi Castro added a run-scoring single for Minnesota, which has outscored the Athletics 26-8 while winning the first three contests of the four-game series.
Jacob Wilson had two hits for the Athletics, who have lost nine straight games and 20 of their past 21. Wilson was back in the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game due to a neck injury.
Minnesota’s Zebby Matthews (1-1) allowed one run and four hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked three for his second career victory in his 13th start.
Four Twins relievers combined for 10 strikeouts and allowed just one hit over four shutout innings.
Louis Varland struck out three to work out of a self-induced jam in the sixth, Griffin Jax fanned three in a perfect seventh and Brock Stewart struck out two in a flawless eighth. Jhoan Duran had two strikeouts in the ninth in a non-save situation.
Jeffers was the second batter of the game when he launched a 414-foot homer over the fence in center off Athletics opener Justin Sterner (1-3).
Minnesota added on in the fifth when Royce Lewis led off with a single and Bader followed by drilling a 2-2 slider from Jeffrey Springs over the fence in left.
The Athletics got on the board in the bottom of the frame as Lawrence Butler singled with two out and scored on Wilson’s double to right.
Jeffers walked with one out in the Twins’ eighth and Larnach followed with a single to left center. Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke was unable to grab the ball cleanly, allowing Jeffers to score to make it 4-1 and Larnach to reach second on the error.
Hogan Harris then relieved Springs and served up an RBI single to Castro.
In the ninth, Christian Vazquez and Byron Buxton drew two-out walks against Harris and Jeffers delivered an RBI single to score Vazquez.
Springs was charged with four runs (three earned) and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Sterner struck out one in addition to allowing the homer in his lone inning. It marked his first time as an opener in 31 career appearances.
–Field Level Media
