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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Jason Giambi is driving in runs, and that
means Oakland is winning.
Giambi homered twice and had three RBI Tuesday night to lead
the Athletics over the Minnesota Twins 5-3.
|  | | Twins pitcher Brad Radke waits for Jason Giambi to round 'em all. Giambi's two-run homer in the seventh put Oakland up 5-2. |
"It's crunch time and he's there for us," A's manager Art Howe
said. "It's nice to watch."
Giambi, who has 36 homers and 115 RBI, hit a solo shot in the
third and a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 5-2. He has
five multihomer games this season, two in four days, and 13 in his
career.
"It's just being at the right place at the right time," Giambi
said. "I'm getting pitches to hit. It's real simple: I see the
ball, and I hit the ball."
Eric Chavez also homered as the A's won their fourth straight
and for the eighth time in 10 games. Oakland remained one game
behind Seattle in the AL West and moved within a half-game of
Cleveland in the wild-card race.
"This is what you dream about as a kid," said Giambi, hitting
.459 (17-for-37) with six homers in September. "It's exciting to
come to the ballpark every day."
Mark Mulder (9-10) allowed three hits in seven innings to win
his second straight start. He walked Brian Buchanan in the second,
ending the A's club record streak of consecutive innings without a
walk at 39.
"After giving up that run in the fourth I got mad at myself
about making dumb decisions," said Mulder, who retired his final
10 batters. "I just went to my strength, got the ball down and
threw strikes. I got a lot of ground balls."
Jim Mecir and Jason Isringhausen completed the six-hitter, with
Isringhausen getting the final out for his 27th save in 34 chances
-- his first since Aug. 15.
Minnesota starter Brad Radke (11-15) allowed five runs and 10
hits in seven innings. He had won three of his previous four
starts.
"He pitched good, but they hit a couple over the fence," Twins
manager Tom Kelly said. "They all count. We just didn't have much
luck tonight."
The Twins have lost 13 of their last 16 road games.
"They're in the playoff hunt and were fired up," Radke said.
"We didn't look as good. On the first home run, I made a pretty
good pitch, and the second, I tried to make the perfect pitch and
it didn't do anything. It was right down the middle. Chavez hit his
homer pretty good, too."
Denny Hocking drove in all three runs for Minnesota. He singled
home David Ortiz in the second, tripled in Corey Koskie in the
fourth to tie it at 2, and singled home Koskie off Mecir in the
ninth.
"I just try to take advantage of the situation with runners on
base," said Hocking, hitting .459 (17-for-37) against the A's this
season.
After Ramon Hernandez singled in Miguel Tejada to tie it in the
second, Giambi homered leading off the third to make it 2-1.
After the Twins retied it, Chavez gave the A's the lead with his
22nd homer of the year leading off the fourth.
The Twins had runners on second and third with one out in the
second, but Mulder got Jacque Jones on an infield popup and struck
out Chad Moeller.
Game notes
Giambi had 33 homers, his previous career high, and 123
RBI last year. ... The Twins recalled RHP Danny Mota from Salt
Lake City of the PCL. . ... The A's were the first major league
team to go four consecutive games without a walk since Kansas City
from Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 1992. ... The Twins are 4-72 when trailing
after the eighth inning. ... The A's have 212 homers, third-best in
the AL and third-best in franchise history.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Texas 9
Baltimore 1
Texas 6
Baltimore 5
(2nd game)
Boston 8
Cleveland 6
NY Yankees 10
Toronto 2
Detroit 10
Chi. White Sox 3
Anaheim 5
Tampa Bay 2
Oakland 5
Minnesota 3
Seattle 11
Kansas City 3
Chicago Cubs 2
Cincinnati 1
Montreal 1
Philadelphia 0
St. Louis 11
Pittsburgh 1
NY Mets 10
Milwaukee 2
Florida 5
Atlanta 4
San Francisco 9
Houston 5
Arizona 5
Los Angeles 4
Colorado 6
San Diego 3
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