OAKLAND -- Coco Crisp homered leading off the game, Khris Davis hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Monday.
Jed Lowrie added two hits and scored the game-winning run for Oakland while first baseman Yonder Alonso singled, scored and made a diving catch to end a threat in the seventh and strand the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.
Kendall Graveman pitched six uneven innings to win for the first time in more than a month for the A's. Oakland has won three straight since dropping the opener of this six-game homestand.
All of the A's runs came off Twins starter Erwin Santana, who had only lost twice in 12 previous career starts at the Coliseum. Santana (1-4) gave up seven hits in seven innings with five strikeouts.
Crisp hit his fifth home run this season on the second pitch from Santana, the 16th leadoff homer of his career.
Marcus Semien doubled in Alonso with the tying run in the bottom of the fifth before Davis drove in the eventual game-winner after the A's loaded the bases in the sixth.
Graveman (2-6) allowed two runs and six hits for his first win since April 20. The right-hander struck out five and walked three.
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John Axford, Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson pitched the final three innings for Oakland. Madson retired three batters in the ninth for his 12th save.
The Twins had runners at second and third with one out in the seventh but failed to score. Dozier struck out swinging, and Alonso made a diving catch on Joe Mauer's liner to end the inning.
