BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (Interstat) — Jacob Lopez pitched six strong innings and the Athletics scraped together just enough offense to defeat the Minnesota Twins 2-0 on Friday night at Target Field.

The Athletics, who entered with a 43-59 record, improved to 44-59 before a crowd of 26,128. The game lasted 2 hours, 26 minutes. Minnesota fell to 51-54.

Lopez (5-4) allowed two hits and four walks while striking out four over six scoreless innings. Hogan Harris earned his eighth save of the season by working a scoreless ninth, striking out one and allowing one hit — a hit batter that was erased by a double play.

Zebby Matthews (4-8) took the loss despite a solid start. He yielded two runs on three hits and four walks over six innings while striking out one.

The Athletics broke a scoreless tie in the fifth. Donovan Walton led off with a walk, and Tommy White followed with a double to center field that put runners at second and third. After Jeff McNeil walked to load the bases, Lawrence Butler lifted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Walton. The rally ended when Matthews threw a wild pitch that allowed White to be thrown out at home by shortstop Ryan Kreidler.

The Athletics added an insurance run in the sixth. Henry Bolte singled with one out, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Tyler Soderstrom’s single to left field.

Minnesota’s best scoring chance came in the bottom of the sixth. Josh Bell walked, Royce Lewis walked after a replay challenge upheld the ball four call, and Luke Keaschall walked to load the bases with two outs. But Brooks Lee grounded into a double play, third baseman Tommy White to first baseman Jeff McNeil, erasing Lewis at third and Lee at first.

The Twins put only two runners in scoring position all night. Austin Martin doubled with one out in the fifth but was left stranded, and Ryan Jeffers singled sharply to center in the eighth but was erased on a double play started by shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Kody Funderburk pitched a scoreless seventh for the Twins, allowing one hit.

The Athletics’ victory snapped a two-game skid after they were outscored 21-10 in a series at Arizona. Minnesota had won the first game of its homestand against Cleveland on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Minnesota 4, Athletics 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Twins a 58.50 percent probability of winning. Minnesota was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of two runs went under the over-under line of 9.5.