MINNEAPOLIS — Kokomo’s Jack Perkins won his third straight start Thursday afternoon as the Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins 8-3 for a three-game sweep.

Perkins threw the opening five innings with three hits, two earned runs, four walks and two strikeouts in improving to 3-2 on the season. He departed with a 6-2 lead. The rookie has won three of his four starts since moving into the starting rotation this month.

kAm%96 7@C>6C z@<@>@ (:=5<2E 4CF:D65 E9C@F89 E96 7:CDE :??:?8 @? E9C66 A:E496D[ E96? H2D DE2<65 E@ >2;@C CF? DFAA@CE 2D E96 pE9=6E:4D D4@C65 D:I CF?D 😕 E96 E@A @7 E96 D64@?5 :??:?8 E@ E2<6 @G6C] w6 925 2 `\a\b D64@?5 :??:?8 2?5 H2=<65 2 32EE6C 😕 E96 E9:C5 7@C 9:D @?=J 32D6CF??6C @7 E96 7:CDE E9C66 7C2>6D]k^Am

kAm|:??6D@E2 D4@C65 :ED CF?D @? !6C<:?D 😕 E96 7@FCE9] pFDE:? |2CE:?[ |:??6D@E2’D }@] a 9:EE6C[ 9:E 2 =625@77 5@F3=6 2?5 !6C<:?D E96? =@2565 E96 32D6D H:E9 EH@ H2=6 7@C 2 7@C46 @FE[ 2?5 8@E 2 A@A @FE 7@C E96 D64@?5 @FE[ 3FE y2>6D ~FE>2? 2?5 pFDE:? |2CE:? 925 #qx D:?8=6D 27E6C E92E E@ 4FE E96 =625 E@ e\a] %96 E9:C5 @FE 42>6 @? 2 E28 @FE 2E 9@>6 @? |2CE:?’D D:?8=6]k^Am

kAm!6C<:?D 9:E 2 32EE6C E@ @A6? E96 7:7E9[ 8@E EH@ 7=J @FED[ H2=<65 2 32EE6C 2?5 E96? 8@E 2 =:?6 @FE E@ 6?5 E96 :??:?8] %92E 7:?:D965 9:D @FE:?8 H:E9 h_ A:E496D]k^Am

kAm“w6 8C:?565[” p’D >2?286C |2C< z@ED2J D2:5 @? E96 pVD A@DE82>6 3C@2542DE] “x E9:?< E96 3C62<:?8 32== H2D?’E 2D D92CA 😕 E96 E9:C5 2?5 7@FCE9 E@ 86E @FED H:E9[ 2 =:EE=6 :?4@?D:DE6?4J 😕 E96 K@?6[ 3FE 96 >256 A:E496D H96? 96 925 E@ E@ 86E @FE @7 :??:?8D]”k^Am

kAm~? @776?D6[ %J=6C $@56CDEC@> =65 E96 p’D[ 8@:?8 c 7@C c H:E9 2 H2=< E@ C6249 32D6 😕 2== 7:G6 @7 9:D A=2E6 2AA62C2?46D] w6 925 2 CF? 2?5 6IE6?565 9:D 9:EE:?8 DEC62< E@ `h 82>6D]k^Am

kAm{2HC6?46 qFE=6C 8@E E96 p’D @776?D6 >@G:?8 H:E9 2 E9C66\CF? 5@F3=6 😕 E96 D64@?5 :??:?8] qC6?E #@@<6C E96? D4@C65 9:> H:E9 2 5@F3=6[ s2C6== w6C?2:K 2?5 r2C=@D r@CE6D 7@==@H65 H:E9 #qx D:?8=6D E@ 42A E96 D:I\CF? FAC:D:?8]k^Am

kAmx? E96 D:IE9[ p’D D=F88:?8 C@@<:6 }:4< zFCEK 36=E65 2 ccd\7@@E 9@>6C E@ 46?E6C 2?5 |2I $49F6>2?? 925 2? #qx D:?8=6]k^Am

kAmq6? q@H56? A:E4965 2? :??:?8 @7 D4@C6=6DD[ ?@\9:E C6=:67 27E6C !6C<:?D 56A2CE65[ 2?5 ~DG2=5@ q:5@ E9C6H E96 7:?2= E9C66 :??:?8D 7@C E96 D2G6 H:E9 EH@ 9:ED 2?5 2 CF?]k^Am

kAm“%9:D E62> 92D 2 24< @7 A=2J:?8 @? E96 C@25 C:89E ?@H[” z@ED2J D2:5[ ?@E:?8 2? 62C=:6C 7@FC\82>6 C@25 DH66A @7 w@FDE@?] “%96J’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 4@?7:56?46[ 3FE H6’G6 366? A=2J:?8 AC6EEJ 8@@5 32D632==] xE D66>D E@ ;FDE <66A 3F:=5:?8 — E96 4@?7:56?46 @7 E92E 32==4=F3 @FE E96C6 😕 E92E ,=@4<6C. C@@> 😀 C62==J 9:89 C:89E ?@H]k^Am

kAm“%96 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 E96 2E\32ED 2?5 E96 A:E49:?8[ C62==J :E’D =:?:?8 FA C:89E ?@H 2?5 x E9:?< E92E’D @3G:@FD=J 2 3:8 A2CE @7 E96 DF446DD]”k^Am

kAm%96 p’D 2C6 “\f E9:D >@?E9 2?5 H6C6 `b\“ 😕 yF=J] %96 pE9=6E:4D 9625 E@ $62EE=6 7@C 2 E9C66\82>6 D6C:6D DE2CE:?8 E@52J]k^Am

kAmx7 E96 p’D C@E2E:@? 9@=5D 2D :E 😀 ?@H[ !6C<:?D H@F=5 E9C@H 282:? ?6IE %F6D52J 😕 2 9@>6 82>6 282:?DE s6EC@:E]k^Am