“This isn’t what we came here to do,” Morneau said. “It’s tough. We didn’t play the way we played all year. They outplayed us and that’s why they’re moving on. In a short series, you can’t afford to miss those chances.”

Oakland took a surprising 2-0 lead in this series by beating Johan Santana and Boof Bonser in the menacing Metrodome, then scored first again against a reeling Radke in what was likely the retiring right-hander’s final career outing.

The A’s failed twice to clinch the AL West in their home ballpark, but this time got to enjoy a postgame party in their own clubhouse — which had been alcohol-free since June after pitcher Esteban Loaiza’s drunken driving arrest.

“This is special for me,” fourth-year A’s manager Ken Macha said. “Not many guys get in this position.”

Chavez, who played through a variety of injuries this season that affected his swing, had been 1-for-30 in his last two postseasons before connecting off Radke in the second for his first hit of the series. Jay Payton followed with a single and Scutaro doubled him home two batters later.

“I’ve always been a streaky hitter over my career,” Chavez said.

The A’s added four more runs in the seventh, three on another double by Scutaro.

Bradley, inconsistent and injured for much of his first season in Oakland, hit a two-run homer in the third for his first hit of the series and a 4-0 lead. He was quickly greeted by hitting coach Gerald Perry. The two exchanged words during Game 2 after Bradley tossed his batting gloves onto a dugout shelf and accidentally spilled coffee on Loaiza.

Oakland returned home only five days after the NFL’s Oakland Raiders played their last game in the Coliseum, leaving large brown spots in the outfield along with visible yard lines.

Yet that didn’t make a difference, and a sellout crowd waved white rally towels — these fans’ version of the Metrodome’s white Homer Hankies.

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The A’s kept on the tarps that have covered the stadium’s upper deck all season, reducing the capacity to 35,077 that included 1,000 standing-room only tickets. The philosophy: smaller venue, increased demand.

The demand will surely be there now.

Chavez and Zito, the Game 1 winner, are the only players to have experienced all the division series disappointment this decade — and Chavez acknowledged the A’s would have to win this time to avoid future questions about all the failures.

“We’ve experienced this a few too many times here,” said Zito, expected to leave as a free agent after this season. “It’s good to get over that hump.”

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Haren gave up a pair of singles in the first but the A’s escaped unscathed after Michael Cuddyer grounded into an inning-ending double play. Morneau reached third with one out in the second and was stranded.

Haren, who pitched twice for St. Louis in the 2004 World Series, was a 14-game winner this season. He pitched eight shutout innings at Minnesota on Sept. 13 and earned this start over Rich Harden, who missed much of the season with two different injuries.

“It feels great,” Haren said. “Nobody expected us to do anything here.”

Two of Oakland’s nine clinching losses were by Mulder, the pitcher Haren replaced in the rotation. Haren allowed nine hits and two runs in six innings, struck out two and walked one.

The 33-year-old Radke, pitching with a torn labrum and stress fracture in his throwing shoulder that caused him to miss more than a month this season, was done after four innings. He allowed five hits and four runs, struck out two and walked one. He had said he planned to call it quits after a 12-year big league career, but left the door open a crack and said he would make a final decision in the coming days.

Notes: Cuddyer had a seven-game postseason hitting streak snapped. ... Chavez’s homer ended an 0-for-12 playoff slump, which included eight at-bats this series. ... The Twins were hitless in 16 chances with runners in scoring position before White’s single.