OAKLAND, Calif. -- After getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series and falling four straight times overall, the Minnesota Twins needed a boost from someone Friday night.

Left-hander Jaime Garcia gave them exactly that in his debut for the Twins and first career start for an American League team.

Garcia threw 6 2/3 solid innings, leading the Twins to a 6-3 victory against the Oakland Athletics and picking up a win at the Oakland Coliseum in the opener of a three-game series.

Garcia (5-7) allowed three runs and eight hits, struck out seven and walked two. He was acquired along with catcher Anthony Recker from the Atlanta Braves on Monday in a trade for minor league pitcher Huascar Ynoa.

"I take a lot of pride every time I take the mound," Garcia said. "The first time, my first start here as an American Leaguer, I wouldn't say pressure, but I wanted to go out there and go as deep as I could and give us a chance to win, and I was able to do that tonight."

Garcia showed his ability to pitch his way out of trouble throughout the game, particularly in the second inning. He walked Khris Davis and Jed Lowrie and gave up a single to Matt Chapman, loading the bases with no outs. But he struck out Ryan Lavarnway and got Matt Joyce to ground into a double play.

"It was big," Garcia said. "Because they've got a good lineup over there. That's what I always try to do. I shouldn't have put them on, but after I put those guys on with a couple walks there, my mentality is always to continue to make pitches, and it's the next pitch, next pitch regardless of what happens behind you. I was able to do that in that inning and a couple of other times as well."

Jason Castro had two RBI doubles and scored a run for the Twins. Ehire Adrianza went 2-for-3 with a walk, drove in a run and scored once.

After missing two games with a bruised left hand, Miguel Sano returned to the lineup and went 1-for-5.

"Coming off the off-day and having gotten swept in L.A., it was nice to come out and get a win," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Garcia's start, we were looking forward to seeing how he would respond. Overall it was good."

Davis had two hits in three at-bats with a walk, an RBI and a run for the A's. Marcus Semien went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run. Lavarnway hit a two-run double.

The A's lost their fifth straight game, and manager Bob Melvin remained stuck on 999 career victories. The A's were left wondering what could have been with a few more timely hits off Garcia.

"We had some opportunities to score a few more runs, especially when you have bases loaded, nobody out and you don't do anything," Melvin said. "Next inning, double to lead off the inning and don't do anything with that. So he probably didn't pitch great, but he managed the game pretty well when there were runners on base."

A's rookie right-hander Daniel Gossett (2-6) allowed five runs (four earned) and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 89 pitches and left the game trailing 5-0.

"He was a little out of sync," Melvin said. "He wasn't throwing the ball for the most part where he wanted to."

Twins right-hander Matt Belisle pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and closer Brandon Kintzler threw a scoreless ninth for his 28th save.

The Twins' first four hitters reached base in the second inning, but Gossett gave up only one run in a 29-pitch inning. Adrianza brought Robbie Grossman home with a bloop single.

Minnesota scored four runs in the fourth, increasing its lead to 5-0 and knocking Gossett out of the game.

Gossett retired the first batter he faced in that inning, then allowed singles to Zack Granite and Adrianza, an RBI double to Castro and an RBI single to Brian Dozier. Castro scored on a wild pitch, making it 4-0. Dozier then scored from second on Sano's infield single when Lavarnway dropped first baseman Ryon Healy's throw home.

The A's broke through for two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Davis drilled a leadoff double, Lowrie walked and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Lavarnway lined a two-run double down the left field line, his first big-league hit since 2015, to make it 5-2.

The Twins answered with a run in the sixth when Grossman and Adrianza singled and Castro hit an RBI double.

"Castro, he's had a pretty good road trip," Molitor said. "Had some big hits down in L.A. and followed it up tonight with a couple doubles too."

Oakland scored a run in the bottom of the inning when Semien doubled with one out, moved to third on Healy's single and scored on Davis' single. Garcia got Lowrie to ground into a double play.

NOTES: Twins OF Byron Buxton (left groin strain/migraine headaches) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester and led off the game with a home run. Buxton started in center field and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Buxton initially landed on the DL on July 15 with a groin injury. The Twins planned to activate him on Tuesday, but migraines sidelined him that day and Wednesday. ... A's RHP Jharel Cotton (right thumb blister) will be activated from the disabled list Monday and start against San Francisco, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Cotton has been on the DL since July 4. ... A's RHP Kendall Graveman (strained right shoulder) is scheduled to make another rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Nashville. That could be Graveman's final rehab start before being activated, Melvin said. ... INF/OF Chad Pinder (strained left hamstring) will likely be activated from the disabled list on Monday, Melvin said. Pinder has been on the DL since June 24. He continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.