Kubel’s pinch-hit homer helps lift Minnesota Twins past A’s 6-3

Twins rally to beat A’s again

OAKLAND, Calif. — Pinch-hitter Jason Kubel hit a tying solo home run in the eighth, Delmon Young singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth and the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Joe Crede tripled off Andrew Bailey (4-1) to start the ninth and Alexi Casilla entered as a pinch runner. He scored easily on Young’s single up the middle. Brendan Harris also added an RBI single in the inning and a pair of wild pitches by Bailey cost the A’s another run.

Kubel’s drive was the third pinch-hit homer this season for the Twins, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game losing streak.

Matt Guerrier (3-0) recorded the final out of the eighth for the win and Joe Nathan finished for his 13th save in 15 opportunities. For Minnesota, the past two games have to be encouraging. The Twins have won consecutive road games for the first time since April 24-25 at Cleveland.

Michael Wuertz replaced starter Dallas Braden and gave up the homer on his second pitch, the first run allowed by Wuertz in 14 innings at the Coliseum this season.

Rajai Davis singled twice, drove in a run and scored and Kurt Suzuki had an RBI double in Oakland’s second straight loss following a season-best seven-game winning streak.

Braden, Oakland’s opening day starter and the only non-rookie in the rotation, pitched well enough to win. He made a nice defensive play when he hustled forward and slid to field Matt Tolbert’s seventh-inning bunt and threw him out.

Francisco Liriano left in frustration yet again despite seven strikeouts, seeing his winless stretch reach six starts. He is 0-3 since his last victory May 9 against Seattle and hasn’t gone more than six innings since.

Joe Mauer hit an RBI single and Carlos Gomez drove in a run on a groundout for the Twins.

A’s right fielder Aaron Cunningham returned to the field two nights after getting hit in the head by a pitch. Cunningham said he felt fine, but manager Bob Geren planned to check with him regularly as a precaution.

Oakland got another scare when Matt Holliday was hit on the left knee by a pitch from Liriano to start the second inning. Geren and athletic trainer Steve Sayles hustled out to check on him, but Holliday stayed in the game.

The Twins sent center fielder and leadoff man Denard Span home to see a specialist after he left Tuesday’s game with dizziness. Manager Ron Gardenhire doesn’t plan to rush him back.

“I have no time limit on it,” Gardenhire said. “We’ve got to make sure he’s OK.

NOTES: Twins SS Nick Punto, on the 15-day disabled list since May 29 with a right groin strain, is on target to come off the DL on Friday. Alexi Casilla could be the odd-man out and headed back to Triple-A Rochester…. A’s DH/1B Jason Giambi got the day off save for a pinch-hit double in the ninth. … Oakland backup C Landon Powell and his wife welcomed a baby boy. Powell is scheduled to start Thursday afternoon’s series finale. … A’s reliever Dan Giese underwent surgery Tuesday for a nerve problem in his right elbow. “Everything went as planned,” Geren said. … Injured Oakland INF Nomar Garciaparra was scheduled for another MRI exam on his strained right calf.