Athletics 5, Twins 3
Brandon McCarthy pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham each homered as the visiting Oakland Athletics held on for a 5-3 victory over the scuffling Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Willingham’s leadoff homer off Scott Baker (0-2) sparked a four-run sixth for Oakland (4-5), which scored more than three runs for just the third time this season. Kevin Kouzmanoff, Cliff Pennington and Landon Powell each had RBIs in the frame.
Jim Thome belted a two-run homer – the 590th of his career – for Minnesota (3-6), which has managed just 24 runs over the first nine games after finishing sixth in the American League in runs scored last season.
The Twins were stymied by McCarthy (1-0), a free agent addition who was making just his second start since 2009 due to shoulder injuries. The righthander allowed two runs and nine hits in 7 1/3 innings en route to his first win as a starter since September 2009.
McCarthy departed after allowing consecutive hits to Denard Span and Joe Mauer. Thome followed with his first homer of the season off Jerry Blevins, but Grant Balfour got the final out of the eighth and Brian Fuentes threw a perfect ninth for his third save in as many chances.
Baker allowed four runs and seven hits in five-plus innings.