Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer, Brett Harris drove in a pair of runs, and the Athletics edged the Minnesota Twins, 6-3 on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.
Nick Kurtz finished 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI for the Athletics, who won the opener of a three-game series. Luis Urias also drove in a run.
Brooks Lee and Ryan Jeffers each hit solo home runs for Minnesota.
Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez (7-6) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out eight.
Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (12-6) surrendered five runs (two earned) on six hits in four innings. He walked one and fanned six.
Athletics’ southpaw Hogan Harris pitched a scoreless inning to earn his first career save. The 28-year-old achieved the feat in his 69th career appearance.
The Twins opened the scoring in the second. Matt Wallner hit a two-out double to right field to score Lee from second base.
The Athletics quickly responded to go ahead 2-1 in the third. Kurtz drew a walk before Langeliers belted a two-run homer — his 27th of the season — over the wall in left.
One inning later, the Athletics added three more runs to pull ahead 5-1.
Harris started the scoring with a sacrifice fly. Urias ripped an RBI single in the next at-bat, and Kurtz followed moments later with an RBI double to cap the three-run frame.
The Twins cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Lee hit a solo shot to right-center field for his 13th homer of the season and his second in the past two games.
Another solo homer, this one by Jeffers, allowed the Twins to pull within 5-3 in the fifth.
Harris knocked in his second run of the evening when he singled to center in the sixth. His hit scored Darell Hernaiz, who led off with a double and advanced to third on a flyout by JJ Bleday.