Sacramento A’s pitcher Jeffery Springs (59) speaks with A’s trainer Jeff Collins (left) in the bottom of the second inning. Springs left the game in the second inning due to right hip discomfort against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Sun Jul 26, 2026 (AP News photo)

Sacramento A’s game wrap:

By Mauricio Segura

For five innings the Minnesota Twins built a seven-run cushion, then the Sacramento A’s turned the final four frames into a chase that was far more interesting than the Twins wanted. Nick Kurtz launched a three-run homer, the Sacramento bench helped produce a three-run seventh, and the A’s added two more in the ninth. The early damage and four Athletics errors, however, gave Minnesota enough room to hold on for an 11-8 victory.

Minnesota began its attack with Austin Martin’s leadoff double. Ryan Jeffers followed with a single, and Royce Lewis brought Martin home on a force play. Lewis then stole second and scored when Kody Clemens drove a triple into right. A throwing error by shortstop Alika Williams allowed Clemens to circle the bases, giving the Twins a 3-0 lead before the Athletics had recorded a hit.

The second inning brought more trouble. Jeffrey Springs left after an injury delay with one out and two runners aboard. Luis Morales replaced him, issued a walk to Martin, and escaped an apparent bases-loaded threat when a Minnesota challenge changed Byron Buxton’s result from a ball to a lineout. The relief lasted only a moment. Morales was called for a balk that scored Alex Jackson, and Jeffers followed with a two-run single. Athletics hitting coach Chris Cron was ejected during the inning, which ended with Minnesota ahead 6-0.

Ryan Kreidler kept applying pressure. He doubled in the fourth, stole third and scored when catcher Jonah Heim’s throw sailed away. Kreidler later added a ground-rule double, another stolen base and a triple. He finished with three extra-base hits, three runs and two steals. Clemens collected two triples, while Jeffers delivered three hits and three RBIs.

The Athletics had only one hit through five innings before Kurtz changed the mood in the sixth. Jeff McNeil singled, Jacob Wilson was hit by a pitch, and Kurtz sent Cole Sands’ splitter 411 feet to center at 104.1 mph. It was his 21st homer and his first since returning from the injured list, cutting the deficit to 7-3. Kurtz had been reinstated one day earlier after a right thumb capsule sprain and entered the game in an 0-for-24 skid.

Minnesota answered when Kreidler doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly that became more costly when left fielder Tyler Soderstrom misplayed the ball. The error ended Soderstrom’s 159-game errorless streak in the outfield, which dated to June 2025. The Athletics entered the game with the fifth-fewest errors in the majors, but their four mistakes helped Minnesota turn baserunners into extra runs.

The A’s made their strongest move in the seventh. Soderstrom doubled, Tommy White singled and Lawrence Butler drew a walk to load the bases. Donovan Walton then earned a run-scoring walk, McNeil brought home White on a groundout, and Carlos Cortes lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Butler. Three pinch hitters contributed to the rally, a notable reversal for a bench that entered the game with the second-lowest pinch-hit batting average in the majors. Suddenly, the score was 8-6.

Minnesota kept the Athletics from drawing closer. Clemens tripled again and scored on Luke Keaschall’s sacrifice fly in the seventh. In the eighth, Brooks Lee singled, Kreidler drove him home with a triple, and Jeffers added an RBI single for an 11-6 advantage.

The Athletics still made Minnesota finish the job. White and Walton singled in the ninth, McNeil drove in White with his third hit, and Cortes brought home Walton on a force play. Jacob Wilson represented the final chance, but his grounder to first ended the game. The A’s finished with eight runs on eight hits, yet Minnesota’s 13 hits, aggressive baserunning and the Athletics’ defensive breakdowns decided the series finale. The defeat also extended the Athletics’ streak to 11 consecutive series without a victory.

The Athletics return home for the opener against Boston, with Jack Perkins (2-5, 6.75 ERA, 76 strikeouts) facing Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.31 ERA, 96 strikeouts); first pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Pacific, giving Sacramento a difficult assignment and a fresh chance to stop the slide.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

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