MINNEAPOLIS – Thanks to Kirk Saarloos, the struggling A's managed to take something positive out of Monday night's game against the Minnesota Twins.
Saarloos pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings after Justin Duchscherer left with a hip injury and the A's held on for a 3-2 win.
"That's the job that he was brought up here to do," A's manager Bob Geren said. "I can't say enough about what he did."
Duchscherer will fly back to Oakland to have his right hip examined. He had season-ending surgery on the same hip midway through last season and said he first felt discomfort during his last start.
"I felt that if I kept pushing off, I'd make it worse," said Duchscherer, who represented the A's in this year's All-Star Game.
Mark Ellis homered and Kurt Suzuki had two RBIs for Oakland, which got a nice effort from Saarloos after he was called up from the River Cats earlier in the day to bolster a struggling A's bullpen that was 1-5 over its last 18 games.
Oakland is 6-23 since the All-Star break, and blowing a three-run lead to Minnesota after its ace left with an injury could've made a bad second half even worse.
"We're going to have the opportunity to be spoilers," Ellis said. "We need to get back to playing how we played the first month and start scoring some runs. It was nice to get out early tonight."
Saarloos wants to be a starter but is happy to be back in the majors for now. This is Saarloos' second stint with the A's this season. He last pitched in the majors on April 17.
"I see myself as a starter, but this is what I am here for," he said. "You just have to be ready."
A's right-hander Brad Ziegler surrendered an RBI triple to Joe Mauer in his first outing since his career opening scoreless streak of 39 innings was ended Thursday against Tampa Bay. Ziegler tied a 59-year-old major league record for relievers with his streak.
Mauer scored when left fielder Eric Patterson's throw skipped into Minnesota's dugout, cutting Oakland's lead to 3-2. Justin Morneau followed with a single, but Ziegler got Jason Kubel to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Ziegler also worked the ninth for his third save in as many chances.
"The damage was done early, and they held on," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Saarloos, a 29-year-old who has spent time with Houston, Cincinnati and Oakland, retired 11 of the 13 batters he faced.
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