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Norris and Vogt lead A's over Twins

Aug 10, 2014 - 6:18 AM Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Derek Norris hit a three-run homer, Stephen Vogt added a two-run blast and the Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 9-4 on Saturday night.

The MLB-leading A's have won the first three games of the four-game series and five of their last six overall.

Jeff Samardzija (3-1) gave up seven hits and two walks in six innings but allowed just two runs and struck out five to earn the win. The A's are 6-1 in the right-hander's starts since acquiring him from the Cubs last month.

"The homers help," said A's manager Bob Melvin. "We've been shy with those recently. That cures a lot of ills."

Trevor May (0-1) pitched just two innings in his major-league debut, giving up seven walks, three hits and four runs. The 24-year-old right-handed prospect threw 63 pitches, including just 28 strikes, and the Twins dropped their fourth straight.

"Unfortunately for us we got behind," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "We made a good run there at the end but came up short."

Brian Dozier hit a one-out double off Samardzija in the first and scored on Trevor Plouffe's single to give Minnesota its only lead.

The A's also scored in the first after four straight batters reached base against May, the last two on walks. They tacked on three runs in the second after May walked three straight batters with two outs and Josh Donaldson delivered a two-run single. Two more walks forced in another run.

Danny Santana doubled and scored for Oakland in the top of the fifth, but the A's blew the game open with five runs in two innings.

Vogt hit his seventh homer of the season off Samuel Deduno in the fifth and Norris belted his 10th, also off Deduno, with no outs in the sixth for a 9-2 lead.

In the eighth, Jordan Schafer hit an RBI double and Dozier added a sacrifice fly for Minnesota's last two runs.

Game Notes

The Twins were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base ... Minnesota actually out-hit Oakland 12-10.