MINNEAPOLIS -- A bust of a road trip mercifully ended with a much-needed win for the A's, who can head west feeling a shade better about what transpired over the last 10 days, following their 8-5 victory in Minnesota on Thursday afternoon.
Their bats were back in action to support a solid outing from Jharel Cotton, who racked up a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings. The A's avoided a sweep at the hands of a hot-hitting Twins team to return home on a positive note.
The last week-plus saw the A's make stops in Anaheim, Houston and Minneapolis, and just two wins were had in nine tries, as they slipped to 12-16 overall.