Jeffers drives in 3 runs and Prielipp wins in return from IL as Twins beat Athletics 11-8

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ryan Jeffers went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Connor Prielipp threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his return from the injured list and the Minnesota Twins beat the Athletics 11-8 on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Kody Clemens was 3 for 5 with two triples and an RBI, and Ryan Kreidler doubled three times and drove in a run for the Twins.

Prielipp (3-5), who had been sidelined by a blister on his middle finger, allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five.

Nick Kurtz hit a three-run homer for the Athletics in the sixth. Jeff McNeil and Carlos Cortes each drove in two runs.

Royce Lewis reached when he grounded into an run-scoring fielder's choice and stole second base before Clemens hit an RBI triple and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Alika Williams to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Alex Jackson scored from third after reliever Luis Morales balked with the bases loaded, and Jeffers followed with a two-run single that made it 6-0 in the second.

Kreidler doubled leading off the fourth, stole third base and scored on a throwing error by catcher Jonah Heim to push the lead to 7-0.

Kreidler doubled and stole third base before he scored on a sacrifice fly by Austin Martin in the sixth to make it 8-3.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs left the game in the second due to an apparent injury and was replaced by Morales. Springs (3-10) allowed five runs, four earned, in 1 1/3 innings.

Athletics hitting coach Chris Cron was ejected by plate umpire Chad Fairchild in the second.

Athletics RHP Jack Perkins (2-5, 6.75 ERA) starts Monday in the opener of a four-game series against Boston at home.

After a day off, Twins RHP Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.65) pitches Tuesday against Kansas City to begin a three-game series.

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Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild, right, explains to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay why he threw out coach Chris Cron after an argument over a balk call in the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Kody Clemens (2) hits an RBI triple against the Athletics in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. Due to a throwing error, Clemens also scored on the play. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Connor Prielipp throws to the Athletics in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers hits a two-run single against the Athletics in the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Travis Adams, left, celebrates with catcher Ryan Jeffers, right, after a baseball game against the Athletics, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day.

Heat indexes well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest were expected to see highs of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 C), according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures.

“It’s extraordinarily hot,” said Pete Miller, an outreach manager for the homeless services network Threshold CoC, which was passing out water bottles to residents in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who are exhausted, drained by the heat in a way that is really dangerous,” Miller added. “The humidity is insane. You stand outside for 30 seconds and you get drenched. And it’s going to be like that all night.”

On Saturday, Rapid City, South Dakota, reported an all-time high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 C). A horse race planned in Canterbury Park, in Shakopee, Minnesota, was canceled Sunday because of the heat.

“Right now, it’s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,” said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. “The core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.”

The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday. The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days.

“If you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you’ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,” Oravec said. “It’s all related.”

Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted.

Authorities warned that children and older adults, along with people with certain medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious conditions including heat stroke or even death. Experts recommend seeking out air conditioning or a cooling center, make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.

Extreme heat events are increased and exacerbated by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal.

The continental U.S. endured the second-hottest first half of the year on record in 2026, according tracking of average temperatures by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

The sun beams down on a lifeguard while she watches over a beach at Lake Harriet during an extreme heat warning, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)