OAKLAND, Calif. — The Minnesota Twins came to Oakland on a four-game winning streak.

They leave town without two of their starters and looking to end a three-game slide.

Danny Valencia had a huge series against his former team, getting another three hits, including a pair of doubles, and the Athletics won their fifth straight game with a 5-1 victory over the Twins on Wednesday.

Six different Twins got a hit against A’s pitching and Brian Dozier’s double was the lone extra-base hit.

“Offensively we didn’t have a good series,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “The offense we saw in Seattle didn’t make the trip south.”

The Twins lost a key player in each of the first two games in Oakland, both to hamstring strains suffered while running the bases. Danny Santana went on the DL following Monday’s game and Miguel Sano was hurt Tuesday night.

“Miguel’s absence will be felt until he returns,” Molitor said. “We have to find a way to keep on going without our most dangerous weapon. The opportunity we did have, we didn’t maximize.”

Billy Butler added two hits and an RBI, Jake Smolinski homered, Jed Lowrie singled twice and scored two runs and Sean Manaea pitched six innings for his second career win.

Since coming off the disabled list May 6, Valencia is batting .378 (31 for 82) with eight home runs and 19 RBIs.

Dozier also walked and scored the run for Minnesota on Eduardo Escobar’s sacrifice fly. The Twins have lost three straight after sweeping Seattle on the road.

Pat Dean (1-2) took the loss and allowed four runs and nine hits over five innings in his third career start. He walked two and struck out three.

“The fastball was up a little too much and got more of the plate than I wanted,” Dean said. “They took advantage. I had to battle. I chalk it up as a tough day.”

Manaea (2-3) allowed one run and five hits to snap a two-game skid. The rookie left-hander had a season-high eight strikeouts with three walks.

The A’s put runners in scoring position each of the first six innings.

“No big innings,” Molitor said of Dean. “He had to throw a lot of pitches because he was just missing.”

The Twins were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base after stranding a total of 17 through the first two games. They hit .260 for the series.

 

Trainer’s room

Twins: Sano was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury suffered Tuesday. Sano will undergo an MRI when the team returns to Minnesota. … Max Kepler went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts after getting called up from Triple-A Rochester before the game.

 

Up next

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (0-3) pitches the opener of a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Thursday in his first start since going on the DL with a right shoulder strain.