The Athletics, who are on their way to the West division crown, mathematically eliminated the defending champion Twins, 5-4. Mike Epstein homered for the A's in the first inning and singled for one of their three runs in the fourth.

After Harmon Killebrew put the Twins on the scoreboard with a single in their half of the fourth for his 100th RBI of the season, the A's counted what proved to be the deciding run in the ninth on a walk to Sal Bando, single by Angel Mangual, an infield out and safe bunt by Dick Green. A Twins' rally in their half of the ninth fell short with two runs on a homer by Steve Brye. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 5, Minnesota Twins 4
Game Played on Saturday, September 4, 1971 (Day game) at Metropolitan Stadium
A's          0  1  0    3  0  0    0  0  1  -   5  8  0
Twins        0  0  0    1  0  0    0  0  3  -   4  7  0


A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Campaneris ss         5   0   0   0     0   2   .258      Tovar cf,2b           4   0   1   0     0   0   .298
Rudi lf               4   0   1   0     0   2   .256      Carew 2b              1   0   0   0     0   0   .298
Jackson rf            3   0   1   0     0   0   .275        Nettles cf          3   1   1   0     0   0   .230
Tenace c              4   0   0   0     0   1   .283      Oliva rf              4   1   1   0     0   0   .345
Bando 3b              2   2   0   0     2   0   .276      Killebrew 1b          3   0   1   1     1   1   .245
Mangual cf            3   1   1   0     1   0   .312      Braun ss              3   1   0   0     1   1   .255
Epstein 1b            4   2   2   2     0   0   .247      Brye lf               4   1   1   3     0   1   .333
Green 2b              4   0   2   2     0   0   .247      Soderholm 3b          3   0   1   0     1   1   .286
Hunter p              4   0   1   1     0   1   .363      Mitterwald c          4   0   1   0     0   2   .251
  Fingers p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .226      Kaat p                1   0   0   0     0   0   .190
                                                            Manuel ph           1   0   0   0     0   1   .125
                                                            Haydel p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Reese ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .219
                                                            Gebhard p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               33   5   8   5     3   6             Totals               32   4   7   4     3   7

Time of Game: 2:24   Attendance: 10,808
Left on Base: A's 5, Twins 4
DP: A's 2, Twins 1
Doubles: Oliva (26), Nettles (4)
Home Runs: Epstein (16), Brye (2)
GIDP: Jackson (6), Carew (18), Braun (5)
Hit by Pitch: Jackson (6,by Haydel)


A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Hunter W(18-11)         8.2   7   4   4   2   6   1  33   3.22
Fingers SV(16)          0.1   0   0   0   1   1   0   2   2.79
Totals                  9     7   4   4   3   7   1  35

Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Kaat L(10-12)           5     6   4   4   2   2   1  22   3.69
Haydel                  3     0   0   0   0   3   0   9   4.39
Gebhard                 1     2   1   1   1   1   0   6   3.75
Totals                  9     8   5   5   3   6   1  37

Hit by Pitch: Haydel (2)

Umpires: HP - Larry Napp, 1B - Jerry Neudecker, 2B - Russ Goetz, 3B - Dave Phillips


ATHLETICS 1ST: Campaneris grounded out (third to first); Rudi
was called out on strikes; Jackson singled to left; Tenace
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Athletics 0, Twins 0.

TWINS 1ST: Tovar singled to center; Carew grounded into a double
play (second to first) [Tovar out at second]; Oliva flied out to
right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 0, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: NETTLES REPLACED CAREW (PLAYING CF); TOVAR
CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING 2B); Bando grounded out (shortstop to
first); Mangual made an out to shortstop; Epstein homered; Green
lined to center; 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 2ND: Killebrew walked; Braun grounded into a double play
(first unassisted) [Killebrew out at second]; Brye lined to
right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Hunter grounded out (pitcher to first);
Campaneris grounded out (shortstop to first); Rudi grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Twins 0.

TWINS 3RD: Soderholm grounded out (second to first); Mitterwald
flied out to left; Kaat grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 1, Twins 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Jackson flied out to center; Tenace grounded out
(shortstop to first); Bando walked; Mangual walked [Bando to
second]; Epstein singled to right [Bando scored, Mangual to
second]; Green singled to right [Mangual scored, Epstein to
second]; Hunter singled to left [Epstein scored, Green to
second]; Campaneris flied out to left; 3 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 0.

TWINS 4TH: Tovar grounded out (third to first); Nettles flied
out to left; Oliva doubled to right; Killebrew singled to left
[Oliva scored]; Braun struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Rudi singled to center; Jackson grounded into a
double play (shortstop to second to first) [Rudi out at second];
Tenace grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

TWINS 5TH: Brye was called out on strikes; Soderholm singled to
left; Mitterwald singled to left [Soderholm to second]; MANUEL
BATTED FOR KAAT; Manuel struck out; Tovar lined to right; 0 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 6TH: HAYDEL REPLACED MANUEL (PITCHING); Bando grounded
out (second to first); Mangual popped to first in foul
territory; Epstein lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

TWINS 6TH: Nettles grounded out (second to first); Oliva lined
to center; Killebrew grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Green grounded out (first to pitcher); Hunter
struck out; Campaneris struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

TWINS 7TH: Braun flied out to center; Brye grounded out (first
unassisted); Soderholm struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 8TH: Rudi struck out; Jackson was hit by a pitch;
Jackson was out trying to advance to second (catcher to
shortstop); Tenace flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Athletics 4, Twins 1.

TWINS 8TH: Mitterwald struck out; REESE BATTED FOR HAYDEL; Reese
flied out to left; Tovar grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Athletics 4, Twins 1.

ATHLETICS 9TH: GEBHARD REPLACED REESE (PITCHING); Bando walked;
Mangual singled to left [Bando to second]; Epstein forced
Mangual (pitcher to shortstop) [Bando to third]; Green singled
to third [Bando scored, Epstein to second]; Hunter grounded out
(first unassisted) [Epstein to third, Green to second];
Campaneris was called out on strikes; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Athletics 5, Twins 1.

TWINS 9TH: Nettles doubled to right; Oliva flied out to center;
Killebrew struck out; Braun walked; Brye homered [Nettles
scored, Braun scored]; FINGERS REPLACED HUNTER (PITCHING);
Soderholm walked; Mitterwald struck out; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Athletics 5, Twins 4.