MINNEAPOLIS—Jose Miranda hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 8–7 Sunday night to take both games of a day-night doubleheader and finish a four-game series sweep.

Willi Castro had three hits, and Carlos Correa and Austin Martin each had two for the Twins. Minnesota has won five straight games and seven of its past eight.

Correa hit two home runs in the first game, a 6–2 Twins victory. The doubleheader became necessary because of a rainout on Saturday.

“It was a great day,” said Royce Lewis, who homered in both games.

With one out in the eighth, Miranda crushed a first-pitch slider from Dany Jiménez (1–2) some 427 feet to the second deck in left field, Minnesota’s third home run of the night. Lewis and Trevor Larnach also went deep.

Miranda replaced Larnach as the designated hitter in the sixth inning.

“Any time I’m not in the game, I’m always getting prepared in the [batting] cage,“ Miranda said. ”I know the pitchers that can come in and I’ve got to be ready.”

JJ Bleday had a career-high four hits and Tyler Soderstrom had three hits including a home run, but Oakland lost its ninth consecutive game, including all seven on a road trip that began in San Diego. Pitching coach Scott Emerson was ejected in the sixth inning.

“This offense, when we hit homers, we usually win,“ A’s Manager Mark Kotsay said. ”We just didn’t have the pitching to get it done. We swung the bats better on the road than we did the last homestand, but we didn’t come away with any wins.”

Lewis has seven home runs in his first 12 games of the season, something never done in Twins history.

“It’s more than I’ve ever seen,” Minnesota Manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s not fluky. He’s really very talented. He’s got a very good swing that stays on plane. He can hit fastballs. He can hit breaking balls. He always has a chance to do something. There’s a dangerous nature about him at the plate. When he’s on your side, you can’t help but smile when he’s doing it.”

After recording the final out of the seventh inning, Josh Staumont (1–0) struck out the side in the eighth. Griffin Jax pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save.

Correa has had multiple hits in eight of his past 11 games, including the two home runs as part of a three-hit game in the opener. Lewis and Carlos Santana also homered for the Twins.

Called up to be Minnesota’s 27th player for the doubleheader, Louie Varland threw 4 1/3 mostly solid innings. He gave up four straight singles in the seventh, the last two run-scoring hits by Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers that forged a 7–7 tie.

Oakland starter Joey Estes allowed six earned runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. Minnesota starter Chris Paddack lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs and five hits. Each gave up two home runs.

Nice Grab

Martin reached over the wall to rob Langeliers of a home run in the second inning.

“Hell yeah, I was surprised!” he said. “I felt it go in my glove, but my whole arm kind of went over, so I didn’t know what I would be bringing back. I didn’t expect to bring back a baseball, so when I looked and I had it, I was like, ‘Dang, that’s not bad.’”

Trainer’s Room

Athletics: Starting pitcher Ross Stripling, out since May 25 with a strained right elbow, has begun to throw from 105 feet. Mr. Kotsay offered no timetable for Stripling to throw a bullpen session or off a mound.

Twins: Right fielder Max Kepler returned to the lineup in the second game. He sat out the opener after being hit above the elbow by a 99-mph pitch on Friday.

Up Next

Athletics: Left-hander Hogan Harris (0–0, 2.49 earned-run average) is scheduled to start on Tuesday at home against Kansas City. The Royals plan to start right-hander Alec Marsh (5–3, 3.63).

Twins: Right-hander Pablo López (6–6, 5.33) is set to start Tuesday’s opener of a three-game series against visiting Tampa Bay. Right-hander Aaron Civale (2–5, 5.20) is scheduled to start for the Rays.

By Mike Cook