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.

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