A’s losing streak extends to seven with walk-off defeat, falling to Twins in 10 innings

The skid continues.

The A’s fell to the Twins at Target Field as the Twins’ Max Kepler delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning, extending the team’s losing streak to seven games.

For Oakland, this loss marks its third defeat by way of the walk-off in recent days, losing to the Padres on Tuesday and Wednesday by way of the walk-off home run.

Six batters in, Oakland was in good position to get back in the win column, owning a quick 4-0 lead thanks to its backstop. With the bases loaded, Shea Langeliers sat on Simeon Woods Richardson’s hanging slider and sent the mistake into the left-field bleachers for his first career grand slam.

With the way Mitch Spence began his night, those four runs appeared to be more than enough. Spence, coming off seven innings of two-run ball in his last start, allowed one run through the first five innings. In the sixth, the Twins had their counter.

With one out, Kepler snuck a game-tying, three-run homer over the right-center field fence, tying the game up at four apiece and denying Spence a second consecutive quality start. Spence recorded one more out before A’s manager Mark Kotsay went to his bullpen.

The A’s briefly took the lead in the seventh inning when Brent Rooker tripled home JJ Bleday, but lost that advantage in the eighth as the Twins scored without recording a hit.

Lucas Erceg, making his second appearance back from the injured list, faced four batters and recorded just one out. Following Max Schuemann’s fielding error, Erceg plunked Kepler and walked Jose Miranda to load the bases.

Kotsay called upon closer Mason Miller, who subsequently walked Carlos Santana and tied the game at five. Miller prevented further damage, but Oakland had lost its second lead of the night.

The A’s failed to score in the top of the 10th inning, setting the stage for more Kepler heroics. After Kotsay chose to intentionally walk Carlos Correa, Kepler lined the first pitch he saw off first baseman Tyler Soderstrom and into right field, easily scoring Austin Martin.