Cust homers and Oakland extends winning streak to 7 games by beating Twins

A’s win seventh straight

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jack Cust hit a go-ahead solo home run, Jack Hannahan tied the game with a three-run double and the Oakland Athletics extended their best winning streak in three years to seven games with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Rookie Josh Outman (4-0) recovered from an early deficit to continue an impressive run by the A’s young staff.

Outman, one of four rookies in Oakland’s rotation, fell behind in the top of the fourth when Carlos Gomez drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk, then Matt Tolbert singled in two runs.

The A’s tied it in the bottom half and went ahead on Cust’s homer off Luis Ayala (1-2) in the fifth inning.

A’s starters have a seven-game winning streak, the longest since a stretch of eight consecutive victories by the starters from June 8-16, 2006.

Oakland’s Aaron Cunningham sustained a concussion in the fourth inning after being hit in the head by a pitch and was taken to a nearby hospital for a CT scan.

Twins starter Anthony Swarzak hit Cunningham square in the helmet and knocked it off his head, and the ball sailed high in the air. Cunningham dropped to one knee and athletic trainer Steve Sayles and manager Bob Geren rushed out.

After several minutes, Cunningham stayed in the game and slowly went to first. Hannahan cleared the bases with his double two pitches later. Gregorio Petit replaced Cunningham in the top of the fifth.

Outman struck out seven and walked two in six innings, allowing four hits. Four relievers combined for three scoreless innings, including Andrew Bailey pitching the ninth for his five save in eight chances.

Justin Morneau struck out in each of his first three at-bats for his first three-strikeout game since July 18, 2007, against the Detroit Tigers. Brendan Harris had his career-best 12-game hitting streak snapped.

Oakland’s seven-game winning streak is the longest current run in the majors and the A’s longest since getting 10 straight victories from June 8-18, 2006.

Twins third baseman Joe Crede was in manager Ron Gardenhire’s original lineup, but the training staff advised the skipper to give Crede a day to rest and recover after he fouled a ball off his left calf Sunday at Seattle.

Gardenhire himself was banged up with a tender right hamstring that he hurt shagging balls during early batting practice Friday at Safeco Field. Pitching coach Rick Anderson went to the mound for pitching changes — something Gardenhire planned beforehand and did other times in recent days.

“We don’t have time (for me to do it),” Gardenhire said. “I’ll start getting pace of game warnings. I get them already. I’m walking, but I’m not walking fast.”