OAKLAND 6, MINNESOTA 3 IN MINNESOTA

Date:  Friday, October 4.

Batting stars:  Jacque Jones was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.  Torii Hunter was 2-for-4 with a double.  A. J. Pierzynski was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  LaTroy Hawkins struck out two in a perfect inning.  J. C. Romero pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Scott Hatteberg was 2-for-2 with a home run and a walk.  Terrence Long was 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.  Ray Durham was 1-for-4 with a home run and a walk.

The game:  The Athletics opened the game with back-to-back home runs, with Durham's being of the inside-the-park variety, to take a 2-0 lead.  The Twins loaded the bases in the second on an error and two walks but did not score.  Long homered in the fourth to put Oakland up 3-0.  Pierzynski put the Twins on the board with an RBI single in the fourth. The Twins tied it in the fifth as Jones walked, Corey Koskie tripled, and Hunter singled.  The Athletics got another home run leading off the sixth, as Jermaine Dye went deep.  In the seventh, Durham walked and scored from first on a Randy Velarde double.  He scored on a sacrifice fly to put Oakland ahead 6-3.  The Twins did not get the tying run up to bat after that.

WP:  Barry Zito.  LP:  Reed.  S:  Billy Koch.

Notes:  Cuddyer was again the right fielder, going 1-for-4.

Rick Reed started and struck out eight in five innings, but gave up four runs (all on solo homers), six hits and two walks.

The Twins stranded nine runners and were 3-for-11 with men in scoring position.  Oakland stranded seven and went just 0-for-2 with men in scoring position.

Record:  Oakland took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.