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OAKLAND, Calif. -- Early inning jitters nearly sank the Twins. Their never-say-die resolve helped save them.

Minnesota fell behind 5-1 in the first two innings thanks to some shaky defense, but rallied to defeat the Oakland A's by a 7-5 score Tuesday at Network Associates Coliseum. The victory gives the Twins a 1-0 lead in the American League Division Series.

"Coming back like that, that's the way we played all year," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's our forte: Try to stay close. We always feel that we can get you if we stay close enough."

"We're never going to quit," said closer Eddie Guardado, who earned a save.

It seemed that the Twins were on the wrong track, literally, before even getting to the ballpark. A car accident that blocked traffic on the Bay Bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco prompted several players to skip the team bus and take public transportation from their hotel to the game. Several boarded the wrong BART train and went in the wrong direction, including starter Brad Radke.

"It was odd," Radke said. "We decided to hop on the BART and it just didn't work out."  More >

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OAKLAND, Calif. -- A's utility man Olmedo Saenz suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon Tuesday. So did the A's as a whole.

Saenz's injury, suffered in the eighth inning, will cost him the rest of his season. The blow the A's took cost them Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Visiting Minnesota made three errors to help the A's take a four-run lead after two innings, and the 34,853 day-trippers at Network Associates Coliseum were all set to party.

But Oakland's suspect bullpen, which was supposed to be bolstered by the two starters left out of the three-man playoff rotation, gave up four runs in the sixth and seventh innings as the Twins roared back for a 7-5 win.

A's starter Tim Hudson was less than sharp, allowing four runs on eight hits -- including two homers -- over 5 1/3 innings. But he left with a one-run lead, and he left with nobody on and one out in the sixth. Five batters later, the A's trailed 6-5.

"They bunched a few hits together after he left and that was it," said A's manager Art Howe.  More >

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