Carl Pavano allowed two runs and won his 15th game of the season, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

Pavano (15-7) scattered 10 hits, walked one and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings as the Twins maintained their lead over Chicago in the American League Central.

Danny Valencia drove in two runs with a single in the first and a ground-rule double in the fourth.

Oakland scored an unearned run in the ninth, but Matt Capps got out of the jam for his 29th save of the season and third with Minnesota since being acquired from Washington last month.

Minnesota scored twice in the first on Jason Kubel's bases-loaded walk and Valencia's single. Both runs were unearned thanks to an error by shortstop Cliff Pennington, who booted Denard Span's leadoff grounder.

Daric Barton's RBI triple and Jack Cust's run-scoring double tied the game in the third.

Valencia's ground-rule double scored Delmon Young in the fourth. Drew Butera's squeeze bunt scored Valencia later in the inning.

Gio Gonzalez (10-8) allowed four run, two earned, over six innings for Oakland.