Torii Hunter came up short again and so did the Minnesota Twins.

Hunter was thrown out in a disputed play at the plate on Minnesota's only clutch hit of the series, snuffing out the Twins' best rally in an 8-3 loss Friday to the Oakland Athletics that finished off a first-round sweep.

With runners on second and third and one out in the sixth, Rondell White came through with the hit the Twins had waited all series for.

New Westminster, B.C.'s Justin Morneau scored from third to cut Oakland's lead to 4-2 and right fielder Milton Bradley threw a strike to the plate. Jason Kendall slapped on the tag and even Minnesota's first hit of the series with a runner in scoring position didn't work out so well for the Twins.

Hunter pleaded with umpire Mike Everitt for a safe call, but that that, just like almost everything else, went Oakland's way.

Hunter, the highlight-reel centre-fielder, was right in the middle of much that went wrong this series for Minnesota. His ill-advised dive for Mark Kotsay's liner led to a two-run, tiebreaking inside-the-park homer that lifted the A's to a 5-2 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday.

And the play at the plate was one of the key moments in Game 3. Hunter's series will be remembered for his misses, not the home run he hit earlier Friday off Dan Haren.

It also could serve as the final memory of Hunter in a Minnesota uniform. The Twins have an option to keep him for US$12 million in 2007, or they can buy out Hunter's deal for $2 million _ thus making him eligible for free agency.

Hunter and Game 3 loser Brad Radke have been two of the constants in recent years on the Twins and both could be gone next season. Radke has said he's almost 100 per cent sure he's retiring.

Radke's final appearance proved to be a disappointing one, ending with him sitting in the dugout staring at the field.

His teammates once again could not come up with a timely hit, his injured right shoulder couldn't come up with one more big start and he couldn't even catch a simple pop-up.

Pitching to extend the Twins' season and his career at least another day, Radke allowed two early home runs in his second start after missing five weeks as he recovered from a torn labrum and stress fracture in his pitching shoulder. He lasted four innings, giving up four runs _ three earned _ and five hits.

Radke got little help. Shortstop Jason Bartlett committed his second error of the series _ one of three on the day by the Twins _ on a grounder by Kotsay in the third inning. Bradley followed that with a home run that made it 4-0.

Radke's memorable play was the dropped pop-up that was more symbolic than significant.

With two outs in the fourth, D'Angelo Jimenez hit a pop-up halfway up the first-base line. Radke called off catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Morneau but the ball deflected off his glove for an embarrassing error.

That didn't lead to a run but the A's got more than enough anyway. After making a hard push down the stretch to make the post-season and win the AL Central, the Twins had little left against Oakland.

Minnesota never even held a lead in this series and went hitless in its first 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Twins have lost four straight post-season series and won just two of 15 games since beating the Angels on Game 1 of the 2002 ALCS.

Minnesota squandered two early chances. With runners on first and second and one out in the first, Michael Cuddyer hit into a double play.

Then after a leadoff double by Morneau and sacrifice bunt by Hunter in the second, White hit a fly to left field that wasn't deep enough to score Morneau. After Jason Tyner walked, Bartlett struck out to end the threat.