Three extras from a holiday matinee:

It's not often you see a game-winning rally started by a baserunning blunder, but that's how Oakland got its three-run seventh going. Danny Valencia doubled off Ricky Nolasco to start the seventh, but the Twins appeared to catch a big break when Valencia broke for third on a two-hopper to shortstop Eduardo Nunez.

That's textbook baseball — what NOT to do — but Nunez's throw was high, and Miguel Sano couldn't catch it and tag Valencia in time. (Actually, umpire Jim Reynolds though he had, but replay corrected him.)

"That was a tough break," Nolasco said. "Not much you can do. Just kept trying to make good quality pitches."

Twins manager Paul Molitor wished Nunez's pitch to Sano had been a little better, but said it's understandable.

"Coming forward like that, it's not a throw you practice a lot," Molitor said. "He let the ball get out there, made it a tougher play. When [Nunez caught] the ball, I think [Valencia] is barely halfway. But between his momentum and Nunez getting himself set, it was enough for him to close the gap and beat out a throw that was off target."

Had the Twins erased Valencia there, the inning probably ends without a run. Instead, the A's scored three and won the game.

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Buddy Boshers was quietly packing his bag after the game, which was appropriate. The lefthander from Alabama didn't make many waves here, but he made a great impression on his manager.

"He's been better than I thought he would be. He's pitched really really well," Paul Molitor said after informing Boshers that the Twins need his roster spot for Trevor May. "He showed consistency, and was getting both lefties and righties out. I think that changeup he's added has really helped him with righties."

Boshers was with the Twins for five weeks, and got into 15 games. Only twice did he allow an earned run, one of them on an Aaron Hicks home run, and he allowed only one inherited runner to score. He walked only two — none over his final 8 1/3 innings — and struck out 14.

Boshers held lefthanders to a .174 batting average — but righthanders only hit .192 off him.

Sending down a pitcher with a 1.38 ERA? Hardly seems fair, but Boshers said he understood.

"I hope i opened some eyes, but at the same time, it's part of the business. I'll go back down [to Class AAA] and keep do what I'm doing," Boshers said. "I can't complain. I think I put up pretty decent numbers thus far. I'll just keep everything rolling and don't change anything."

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The Twins made the game interesting in the ninth inning, putting two runners on base against A's closer Ryan Madson. Eddie Rosario hit one of those triples he made a speciality of last season, hitting the ball to the warning track in right-center. Pinch-hitter Robbie Grossman then walked, bringing the winning run to the plate against Madson, who last week gave up three runs to the Giants. Danny Santana got ahead in the count 2-0 and hit the ball hard, but his line drive to center hung in the air long enough for Coco Crisp to catch it and end the game, preserving Madson's 16th save.