Twins' Santana tosses two-hitter to shut out A's
MINNEAPOLIS -- Ervin Santana had his best start as a Minnesota Twin, tossing his first complete game shutout in more than four years and allowing just two hits in a 4-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.
Santana (3-7) retired the first 14 men he faced in order before a two-out double off the left-field wall by Oakland's Billy Butler in the fifth inning. The right-hander retired the next seven men he faced before surrendering a leadoff single to Stephen Vogt in the eighth, but Santana quickly erased him on a 3-6-1 double play grounder by Butler.
Santana walked none and struck out eight in completing his first game since he shut out Arizona on June 16, 2012, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels.
Oakland starter Sonny Gray also was solid but struggled with his control, walking four and allowing six hits over six innings. Gray failed to work a single clean inning but stranded nine men and allowed only one run to keep the Athletics close.
Following a leadoff walk by Robbie Grossman in the fifth, Joe Mauer rolled an RBI double to the wall in left-center field for the only run surrendered by Gray on the day.
Despite the quality start, Gray (3-8) was unable to secure his first victory since April 22, a span of 12 starts. The righty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his last seven outings.
Grossman walked again to lead off the seventh and Mauer followed with a single to right to put runners on the corners with nobody out for the middle of the order.
Brian Dozier grounded to shortstop Marcus Semien, who fired home to retire Grossman, but Miguel Sano singled to load the bases and Max Kepler drew an eight-pitch walk to score a run.
Eddie Rosario added a sacrifice fly to left field to score another run and give Santana a three-run cushion.
Danny Santana led off the eighth with a triple off the wall in right and scored on Eduardo Nunez's sacrifice fly to deep center for a 4-0 lead.
Nunez finished the day 1-for-4 with a single, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base, becoming the first Twin to steal at least 20 bases before the All-Star break since Carlos Gomez swiped 21 in 2008. Nunez was named to his first career All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Mauer had a double among three hits after getting the night off on Tuesday. Santana also had three hits.
NOTES: Athletics RHP Fernando Rodriguez had an MRI on his shoulder that revealed a strained rotator cuff. The injury will shut him down indefinitely but is not expected to require surgery to repair. Rodriguez, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday, has a 4.20 ERA in 40 2/3 innings this season. ... Twins INF Eduardo Escobar was available off the bench on Wednesday. Escobar was ruled out in each of the last four games because of a strained left hamstring sustained on Saturday against Texas. ... Twins OF Byron Buxton was not in the starting lineup because of soreness stemming from a collision with the wall on Tuesday. He was available off the bench. ... Oakland will continue its seven-game road trip into the All-Star break with a four-game series against the Houston Astros beginning on Thursday. ... Minnesota will also head to the Lone Star State to begin a four-game series with the Texas Rangers on Thursday.