Minnesota Twins Drop Final Home-Game

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Rookie Ryan Noda hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning and the Oakland Athletics held on for a 2-1 win against the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

Noda’s 16th homer helped Oakland rebound after Minnesota had tied the game in the sixth. It was just the third win in the past 14 games for the Athletics, who avoided being swept and temporarily eluded their 111th loss, which would be the most in the majors since Detroit lost 114 games in 2019.

Lucas Erceg (4-4) won in relief of Luis Medina, who allowed one run over six innings in, perhaps, his best big league start. Erceg walked three in his one inning but struck out Donovan Solano with the bases loaded in the seventh in a 12-pitch at-bat.

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Minnesota, which clinched the division title last week, used the three games against the A’s to get measured workloads for many pitchers, using planned committees on most days.

Kenta Maeda (6-8), who will likely be used in relief in the postseason, took the loss in relief of Sonny Gray. Maeda allowed just one hit – Noda’s homer – in 3 1/3 innings.

“We got good work for (Gray),” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We got good work for Kenta. We got good work for Louie (Varland). We’re nice and lined up with those guys as far as what we were looking for. So, in that regard, it was successful."

Medina ended his first season in the majors by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. He had issued a walk, allowed a single to Solano and hit a batter. But a double-play followed by a groundout got the right-hander out of the inning.

Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli said SS Carlos Correa (plantar fasciitis) won’t join the team for the trip to Colorado. Correa will join other injured players working out at Target Field while the team is on the road.

The final weekend of the regular season takes the Twins to Colorado. Beginning Friday RHP Joe Ryan (11-10, 4.31) will be opposed Friday by LHP Ty Blach (3-3, 5.42).