Valencia sparks A's win over Twins
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Danny Valencia homered, doubled and drove in three runs, powering the Oakland A's to their fourth straight victory, a 7-4 win against the Minnesota Twins at the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday night.
The A's beat the Twins for the second straight game and will go for the series sweep Wednesday afternoon.
A's catcher Stephen Vogt went 3-for-5 with a two-run double in the eighth inning, extending Oakland's lead to 7-4. Vogt scored two runs.
Left fielder Robbie Grossman went 3-for-4 with three doubles, drove in a run and scored twice for the Twins.
Twins right fielder Miguel Sano left the game in the top of the third inning with a strained left hamstring after grounding into a fielder's choice. He leads Minnesota in home runs (11) and RBIs (27).
Valencia went 2-for-4 with a walk and scored a run. Valencia's two-run blast in the third inning was his first career home run against Minnesota, which drafted him in the 19th round in 2006. He played his first 273 major-league games for the Twins before being traded to Boston after the 2012 season.
A's left-hander Eric Surkamp, who was recalled Tuesday from Triple-A Nashville, gave up three runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings and got a no-decision in his sixth start for Oakland. He struck out two, walked one and hit two batters.
Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey (2-4) gave up five runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.
A's relievers Ryan Dull (1-0) and Marc Rzepczynski combined to blank the Twins on one hit over 2 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Fernando Rodriguez gave up a run in the eighth when Grossman hit a lead-off double and Kurt Suzuki singled him home with one out, cutting Oakland's lead to 5-4.
John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.
The Twins struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Grossman and Byung Ho Park.
Oakland scored a run in the bottom of the second when Marcus Semien led off with a single and Billy Burns hit an RBI triple with one out. Minnesota moved back ahead 2-1 with a run in the third. Surkamp hit two batters and gave up two singles, but the Twins stranded three base runners.
In the bottom of the third, Stephen Vogt lined a leadoff single, and Valencia launched an opposite-field home run to right, giving Oakland a 3-2 lead. Duffey fell behind 3-1 in the count, and Valencia drilled a fastball for his eighth home run of the season. All eight home runs have come since May 6 when he came off the 15-day disabled list.
The Twins pulled even with a run in the fifth as Trevor Plouffe singled sharply to right with one out and scored from first on Grossman's double.
But Oakland scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Vogt led off with a single and scored on Valencia's double to the left-center alley. Semien brought Valencia home with a two-out double to left-center, ending Duffey's night.
NOTES: A's RHP Sonny Gray (strained right trapezius) threw 50 pitches, including his last handful to hitters before Tuesday's game against Minnesota. "It feels really, really good, and it feels loose," said Gray, who's been on the 15-day disabled list since May 21. Gray said a cortisone shot and treatment helped get rid of tightness in the strained muscle. ... A's RHP R.J. Alvarez (right elbow surgery) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Class A Stockton and pitch one inning. Alvarez, a reliever, faced hitters for the first time Tuesday, throwing 20 pitches. "I feel really good right now," Alvarez said. "It's nice to get those bone chips that were kind of bothering me out of there. I just feel a lot freer." ... A's RHP Zach Neal was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, opening a spot on the 25-man roster for LHP Eric Surkamp, who was recalled from Nashville and started against Minnesota. ... Twins CF Byron Buxton, who was called up late Monday night from Triple-A Rochester, started Tuesday against Oakland. Buxton, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, hit .156 in 17 games with the Twins earlier this season before being sent down on April 25. In 29 games with Rochester, he hit .336 with six home runs, nine doubles and three triples. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer was named the American League Player of the Week for the third time in his career. He hit .440 with four home runs during the week of May 23-29.