OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Minnesota’s Johan Santana pitched eight innings of two-hit ball, Justin Morneau hit a two-run homer in the eighth to spoil the chance of three straight shutouts by Oakland and the Twins beat the Athletics 2-1 on Friday night.

Santana gave up both hits in the second inning. After Bobby Kielty’s two-out single, Santana retired the final 19 batters he faced before Joe Nathan finished for his seventh save in as many chances.

Santana (5-4), the 2004 AL Cy Young Award winner and an All-Star last season, won for the first time in four starts since beating the White Sox on May 12. He struck out nine and didn’t allow a walk.

The A’s had gone 25 innings without allowing a run, and Kirk Saarloos appeared in position to follow the feats of Joe Blanton and Barry Zito who had shutouts before him, but Morneau sent a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence for his 11th homer of the season.

Frank Thomas homered for the third straight game to give him 461 for his career, but the A’s missed a chance at their first three-game winning streak since five straight victories from May 14-19.

Thomas homered in three straight games for the 20th time in his career and the first since doing it June 13-17 last year for the Chicago White Sox.

The Big Hurt is finding his stroke after a slow start with his new team. He connected for his 13th homer of the year leading off the second inning, giving him 1,495 RBIs to tie him with Gary Sheffield for 44th place all-time. In addition, with his 922nd extra-base hit, he moved past Harold Baines and Goose Goslin into sole possession of 42nd place.

Saarloos (2-4), who could be headed back to the bullpen once the A’s get injured starters Rich Harden and Esteban Loaiza back, lost his third straight start and fourth in five. The right-hander retired 16 straight during one stretch before Nick Punto’s one-out single in the sixth.

Saarloos, who had walked 12 batters in his previous two outings, allowed a walk to Punto to start the game followed by a single to Luis Castillo. Joe Mauer then grounded into a double play to start a stretch of eight straight groundballs by the Twins, who weren’t very patient at the plate in the early innings.

Mauer went 0-for-4 and had his career-high 11-game hitting streak snapped.

It was another quick game at 2 hours, 3 minutes after the A’s won Thursday night’s series opener in 1:57. Oakland had its game go 2:07 Wednesday against Kansas City.

Notes: Thomas has 47 homers and 129 RBIs in 165 career games against the Twins – and only Reggie Jackson with 51 has more homers against Minnesota. Thomas came in batting .375 (6-for-16) with two homers against Santana. … Seven of Thomas’ homers this year have led off an inning. … Terry Tiffee got the start at designated hitter for the Twins after being recalled from Triple-A Rochester. … Torii Hunter grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the seventh in which replays showed he was safe. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire hustled out to argue with first-base umpire Travis Reininger. … A’s RHP reliever Jay Witasick, on the 15-day DL since April 14 with a sprained left ankle, pitched two innings in a rehab assignment for Class-A Stockton at Modesto. He struck out four and allowed one hit.

AP-ES-06-03-06 0015EDT