Turning from hero to goat, Dan Ford drove in seven runs but then overthrew third base in the bottom of the 12th inning, allowing pinch-runner Steve Staggs to score the winner from first base on a single by Jim Essian as the A's ralled for three runs to defeat the Twins, 9-8. It was the A's eighth straight victory and the Twins' ninth straight loss.

Mitchell Page led off the A's 12th with a single, went to third on Miguel Dilone's single and scored on Dave Revering's single. Essian then grounded a single to center to score Dilone and when Staggs rounded third base, Ford's throw bounced into the Twins' dugout. Ford had put the Twins ahead in the top of the inning with a two-run double after the A's tied game with two out in the ninth on a homer by Page. [The Sporting News]



Oakland Athletics 9, Minnesota Twins 8
Game Played on Wednesday, April     26, 1978 (Night game) at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Twins        0  0  0    2  1  0    3  0  0    0  0  2  -   8 12  3
A's          0  0  0    0  2  0    2  0  2    0  0  3  -   9 15  2


Twins                AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      A's                  AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Smalley ss            6   2   3   0     0   2   .274      Edwards 2b            6   1   2   0     0   0   .327
Carew 1b              3   2   1   0     3   0   .360      Guerrero ss           5   0   2   1     0   0   .386
Ford cf               6   2   2   7     0   0   .317        Murphy pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .000
Cubbage 3b            6   0   0   0     0   0   .328        Perez ss            1   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Wynegar c             6   0   3   1     0   0   .224      Page lf               6   2   4   3     0   0   .400
Adams dh              3   0   1   0     0   0   .143      Alexander dh          5   0   0   0     0   3   .283
  Kusick ph,dh        2   0   0   0     0   0   .225        Dilone pr,dh        1   1   1   0     0   0   .231
Powell rf             4   0   0   0     0   0   .184      Revering 1b           6   0   1   1     0   0   .286
  Morales ph          0   0   0   0     0   0   .364        Staggs pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .308
  Chiles ph,rf        1   0   1   0     0   0   .375      Essian c              5   1   2   1     1   0   .222
Norwood lf            5   1   1   0     0   0   .226      Gross 3b              4   1   1   0     1   1   .213
Randall 2b            3   1   0   0     1   0   .288      Armas cf              5   0   1   1     0   1   .310
Erickson p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Thomasson rf          4   1   1   0     1   2   .151
  Thayer p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Keough p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
  T. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Lacey p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Sosa p              0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
                                                            Coleman p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               45   8  12   8     4   2             Totals               48   9  15   7     3   7

Time of Game: 3:17   Attendance:  4,127
Left on Base: Twins 7, A's 9
DP: Twins 1, A's 2
Errors: Smalley, Carew, Ford, Guerrero, Gross
Doubles: Ford (5), Gross (2), Page (1), Edwards (4)
Home Runs: Ford (4), Page (1)
Sacrifice Hits: Randall (2)
GIDP: Ford (2), Kusick (4), Alexander (5)
Hit by Pitch: Kusick (1,by Lacey)


Twins                  IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Erickson                6     8   4   4   3   3   0  29   4.24
Thayer                  2.2   3   2   2   0   3   1  10   4.38
T. Johnson L(1-4)       2.1   4   3   2   0   1   0  12   3.26
Totals                 11    15   9   8   3   7   1  51

A's                    IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Keough                  6.1   6   5   3   3   2   0  28   2.13
Lacey                   4     2   1   1   0   0   1  14   2.60
Sosa                    1.1   4   2   2   1   0   0   8   1.06
Coleman W(2-0)          0.1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0.00
Totals                 12    12   8   6   4   2   1  51

Hit by Pitch: Lacey (1)
Wild Pitches: Erickson (3)

Umpires: HP - George Maloney, 1B - Jim McKean, 2B - Greg Kosc, 3B - Jerry Neudecker


TWINS 1ST: Smalley struck out; Carew walked; Ford grounded into
a double play (shortstop to first) [Carew out at second]; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 1ST: Edwards flied out to center; Guerrero flied out
to right; Page lined to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0,
Athletics 0.

TWINS 2ND: Cubbage grounded out (second to first); Wynegar
popped to third in foul territory; Adams grounded out (shortstop
to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 2ND: Alexander struck out; Revering grounded out
(second to first); Essian flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 3RD: Powell flied out to left; Norwood grounded out
(pitcher to first); Randall grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 3RD: Gross grounded out (second to first); Armas
singled to left; Erickson threw a wild pitch [Armas to second];
Thomasson walked; Edwards flied out to center; Guerrero flied
out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 0, Athletics 0.

TWINS 4TH: Smalley struck out; Carew singled to third [Carew to
third (error by Gross)]; Ford reached on an error by Guerrero
[Carew scored (unearned) (RBI), Ford to second]; Cubbage
grounded out (second to first) [Ford to third]; Wynegar singled
to left [Ford scored (unearned)]; Adams singled to center
[Wynegar to second]; Powell lined to center; 2 R (0 ER), 3 H, 2
E, 2 LOB.  Twins 2, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 4TH: Page flied out to left; Alexander struck out;
Revering made an out to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 2,
Athletics 0.

TWINS 5TH: Norwood singled to center; Randall out on a sacrifice
bunt (pitcher to second) [Norwood to second]; Smalley singled to
left [Norwood to third]; Carew walked [Smalley to second]; Ford
grounded out (shortstop to first) [Norwood scored, Smalley to
third, Carew to second]; Cubbage grounded out (shortstop to
first); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 0.

ATHLETICS 5TH: Essian singled; Gross doubled to right [Essian to
third]; Armas grounded out (third to first) [Essian scored,
Gross scored (error by Carew)]; Thomasson made an out to
shortstop; Edwards singled; Guerrero flied out to right; 2 R, 3
H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 2.

TWINS 6TH: Wynegar grounded out (pitcher unassisted); Adams
grounded out (third to first); Powell grounded out (first to
pitcher); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 3, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 6TH: Page doubled to left; Alexander struck out;
Revering grounded out (pitcher to shortstop to first); Essian
walked; Gross walked [Page to third, Essian to second]; Armas
popped to first in foul territory; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Twins
3, Athletics 2.

TWINS 7TH: Norwood grounded out (pitcher to first); Randall
walked; Smalley singled to right [Randall to second]; LACEY
REPLACED KEOUGH (PITCHING); Carew flied out to left; Ford
homered [Randall scored, Smalley scored]; Cubbage flied out to
center; 3 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 2.

ATHLETICS 7TH: Thomasson singled to right; Edwards doubled to
right [Thomasson to third]; Guerrero singled to left [Thomasson
scored, Edwards to third]; THAYER REPLACED ERICKSON (PITCHING);
Page singled to center [Edwards scored, Guerrero to second];
Alexander grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Guerrero to third, Page out at second]; Revering flied out to
center; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 4.

TWINS 8TH: Wynegar singled to left; KUSICK BATTED FOR ADAMS;
Kusick grounded into a double play (third to second to first)
[Wynegar out at second]; Powell grounded out (pitcher to first);
0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 4.

ATHLETICS 8TH: KUSICK STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); Essian flied
out to center; Gross struck out; Armas struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 4.

TWINS 9TH: Norwood grounded out (third to first); Randall
grounded out (second to first); Smalley grounded out (third to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 4.

ATHLETICS 9TH: Thomasson struck out; Edwards grounded out (third
to first); Guerrero singled to center; MURPHY RAN FOR GUERRERO;
Page homered [Murphy scored]; T. JOHNSON REPLACED THAYER
(PITCHING); Alexander reached on an error by Smalley; DILONE RAN
FOR ALEXANDER; Revering popped to third in foul territory; 2 R,
2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 6.

TWINS 10TH: DILONE STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); PEREZ REPLACED
MURPHY (PLAYING SS); Carew flied out to left; Ford grounded out
(shortstop to first); Cubbage grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 6.

ATHLETICS 10TH: Essian grounded out (shortstop to first); Gross
grounded out (second to first); Armas flied out to right; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 6.

TWINS 11TH: Wynegar flied out to center; Kusick was hit by a
pitch; MORALES BATTED FOR POWELL; SOSA REPLACED LACEY
(PITCHING); CHILES BATTED FOR MORALES; Chiles singled to right
[Kusick to third]; Norwood reached on a fielder's choice [Kusick
out at home (shortstop to catcher), Chiles to second]; Randall
forced Norwood (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Twins
6, Athletics 6.

ATHLETICS 11TH: CHILES STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Thomasson
was called out on strikes; Edwards grounded out (third to
first); Perez grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Twins 6, Athletics 6.

TWINS 12TH: Smalley singled to center; Carew walked [Smalley to
second]; Ford doubled to right [Smalley scored, Carew scored,
Ford out at third (right to first to third)]; Cubbage flied out
to right; Wynegar singled; COLEMAN REPLACED SOSA (PITCHING);
Kusick flied out to center; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Twins 8,
Athletics 6.

ATHLETICS 12TH: Page singled to left; Dilone singled to right
[Page to third]; Revering singled [Page scored, Dilone to
second]; STAGGS RAN FOR REVERING; Essian singled to center
[Dilone scored, Staggs scored (error by Ford) (unearned)];
throw went into dugout; 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Twins
8, Athletics 9.