The Oakland Athletics dropped a tough 4-3 extra innings game to the Minnesota Twins Wednesday night due in part to a rare defensive miscue by first baseman Daric Barton. After Brian Fuentes gave up a single to Delmon Young in a 3-3 game, Alexi Casilla grounded to first base. Barton went to throw out Young at second but his throw sailed high and wide. The throw moved Young to third and got Casilla to second. Although Fuentes got a ground out on the next at bat, Trevor Plouffe was able to get Young home on a sacrifice fly to right field, which ended up being the game-winning run.
The game was an otherwise tense affair as the teams exchanged the lead several times in the early innings. The Twins jumped on top 1-0 in the first after Justin Morneau singled in Jason Kubel. The A’s took a 2-1 lead on a Kevin Kouzmanoff single but then lost the lead on a Plouffe single. The A’s tied it back up in the sixth but could not get back out in front to grab the win.
The two teams wrap up this short series on Thursday at 12:35pm pacific as Tyson Ross squares off against Nick Blackburn at the Coliseum.