OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Trevor Plouffe hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning for his season-high third RBI, helping the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Pinch-hitter Delmon Young singled to open the inning and advanced to third when Daric Barton threw Alexi Casilla's bunt into the outfield. After Denard Span grounded out, Plouffe hit a flyball to right field off Brian Fuentes (1-4).
Joe Nathan (1-1) got two outs for the win, pitching out of trouble in the ninth. Matt Capps got three outs for his seventh save.
Justin Morneau also drove in a run for the Twins, who have won two straight following a nine-game losing streak.
Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in two runs and Hideki Matsui added an RBI single for the A's, who fell a game behind Texas at the top of the AL West.
Twins starter Carl Pavano, who was looking for his 100th career win, allowed three runs - one earned - on six hits. He struck out two and did not walk a batter. He made his first career start in Oakland and has now started in every AL stadium.
A's starter Brandon McCarthy also lasted seven innings, giving up three runs on nine hits. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
McCarthy is winless in his last seven starts.
Morneau singled home a run in the first to give the Twins the early edge. Morneau, who has been struggling all season, went 2 for 4 and is hitting .485 (16 for 33) with 13 RBIs his last 10 games against the A's.
Kouzmanoff singled home two runs in the second to put the A's on top 2-1.
Plouffe, whose throwing error led to the A's first two runs, came back to drive in two runs in the third for a 3-2 Twins lead.
Matsui's RBI single in the sixth tied it.
NOTES: The Twins hung a No. 3 jersey in their dugout to honor the memory of slugger Harmon Killebrew. The team will continue the practice the rest of the season. Players are also wearing patches in his honor on their uniform sleeves. ... Morneau is a career .313 hitter, with 43 RBIs, against the A's. ... A's RHP Michael Wuertz has not allowed a run in 10 of his 11 appearances this year. ... Twins' LHP Glen Perkins has not allowed an earned run in 18 of his 21 appearances. ... Barton had gone 24 consecutive games without committing an error. He still leads the majors with six errors by a first baseman.
