Field Level Media
Sep 22, 2018
Khris Davis led off the bottom of the 10th inning with his second home run of the game, delivering the Oakland Athletics a 7-6, walk-off victory over the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series in Oakland, Calif.
A ninth walk-off win of the season kept Oakland (93-61) 6 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay in their battle for the second wild-card spot in the American League. The Rays had beaten Toronto earlier in the evening. The A's remain 3 1/2 games back of the Astros, who routed the Angels, for the AL West lead.
Davis' game-winner, his 45th homer of the season, came on the third pitch of the 10th inning by Matt Magill (3-3), who had stranded the potential winning run at third base to end the ninth.
A's closer Blake Treinen (8-2), who worked two perfect innings, was credited with the win.
Before Davis' dramatics, neither team had scored since the sixth inning, when the Twins exploded for six runs to take a 6-4 lead, before pinch hitter Mark Canha hit a two-run homer for the A's to get them even at 6-6.
The homer was Canha's 17th of the season.
Davis' first homer, a two-run shot, opened the game's scoring in the bottom of the first.
Oakland led 4-0 before Jake Cave doubled and Robbie Grossman homered, his fifth, to open Minnesota's six-run sixth. Singles by Max Kepler and Tyler Austin, and a double by Ehire Adrianza made it 4-3, setting the stage for a bases-clearing double by Jorge Polanco after Joe Mauer had been walked intentionally.
Oakland "opener" Liam Hendriks did his job, holding the Twins scoreless in the first inning before giving way to Chris Bassitt, who in turn handed off a shutout to Lou Trivino in the sixth.
Twins right-hander Jose Berrios worked two outs into the sixth inning, charged with five runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight.
Stephen Piscotty scored twice, and Ramon Laureano had two hits for the A's, who won their third straight while improving to 3-1 on a six-game homestand.
Cave and Adrianza collected two hits apiece for the Twins (71-82), who had a four-game winning streak snapped.
The loss assured Minnesota of its sixth losing season in the last eight.
--Field Level Media