WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carlos Cortes homered and Gage Jump struck out nine in 6⅓ innings as the Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Jump (6-8) pitched into the seventh for the first time since June 18 against the Angels, when he fanned seven and allowed one hit in seven innings.
Alika Williams got the first A’s hit with a two-out double in the second, and Cortes put them ahead with a two-run shot to right field. Tommy White hit an RBI double with two outs in the sixth and Donovan Walton added a run-scoring single, extending the lead to 4-0.
Lawrence Butler had two hits for the A’s, and Henry Bolte legged out his first career triple.
Taj Bradley (9-6) tied his career high with 11 strikeouts, but gave up four runs and seven hits in 6⅔ innings. He struck out the side on nine pitches in the fifth for the first immaculate inning in Twins history.
Minnesota got two runs back in the seventh, ending Jump’s night, but the Twins were held hitless the rest of the way. Hogan Harris and Luis Medina combined for 1⅔ scoreless innings, and Elvis Alvarado earned his fourth save.
Royce Lewis led the Twins with two hits. They went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five overall.
Up next
LHP Connor Prielipp (3-7, 5.57 ERA) takes the mound for Minnesota opposite A’s RHP J.T. Ginn (8-8, 3.60) to conclude the series on Wednesday.
