Defense lets Twins down again in 7-6 loss to Athletics

The Twins had a chance to win a series against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. But their defense let them down.

Josh Donaldson's ninth-inning error helped Oakland score the decisive run on a wild pitch, and the A's came back to beat the Twins 7-6 at Target Field.

With one out and one on in the ninth, Matt Olson hit a potential double-play grounder to Donaldson, but the Twins third baseman couldn't field the ball. Ramon Laureano went to third. The next batter, Matt Chapman, struck out swinging, but Laureano scored on a wild pitch on stirke three.

Donaldson's error was the second error of the game for the Twins, and the first was also a costly one. Catcher Ben Rortvedt was called for interference on a rundown with Elvis Andrus between third and home, enabling Andrus to walk in with a run in Oakland's four-run fifth inning.

It was the second time this season the Twins defense let them down against the A's; they lost a game in Oakland last month on consecutive 10th-inning errors.

In front of an announced crowd of 10,270 at Target Field, Max Kepler hit a three-run homer in the second inning before his sacrifice fly the next inning gave the Twins a 4-1 lead. But the Twins took a 5-4 lead with their four-run fifth.

Kenta Maeda gave up four-consecutive hits to start that inning before Tyler Duffey replaced him. Maeda gave up eight hits and five runs, three earned, with one walk and a strikeout. Oakland starter Chris Bassitt went five innings for six hits, four earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts.

The Twins got a big home run in the eighth inning for the second day in a row, this time a tying two-run shot from Andrelton Simmons.

Both Willians Astudillo (left hand contusion from being hit by a pitch) and Kepler (unspecified) left the game early.