Cashner surrenders three home runs in Orioles debut

Three pitches from Andrew Cashner tonight and his first strikeout with the Orioles was in the books. Three batters into the game and he allowed his first home run.

There would be more strikeouts and more home runs for Cashner over five innings, and an unsuccessful debut in front of the home crowd.

Cashner was charged with five runs (four earned) and six hits, with two walks, five strikeouts and three home runs. He threw 79 pitches, 53 for strikes.

Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. made his major league debut in the sixth.

Lauded in spring training for his competitive nature and leadership, Cashner took the mound tonight for the first time after signing a two-year, $16 million contract in February. The other stuff is important, of course, but results matter and Cashner wanted to deliver them. He wanted to grab the baton from opening day starter Dylan Bundy and keep moving in the right direction.

Cashner ranked second in the American League last season with 0.8 home runs allowed per nine innings. He surrendered two in a game only twice in his 28 starts with the Rangers. But the Twins hit three tonight within the first four innings.

Meanwhile, the Orioles remained hitless against Twins starter Kyle Gibson through the fifth and trailed 5-0.

Cashner struck out Brian Dozier and Eddie Rosario in the first inning, but Miguel Sanó homered with two outs to give the Twins a quick 1-0 lead. Sanó, who drove a 93 mph fastball into the left field seats, also hit a home run last April in Cashner's only career start against the Twins.

Max Kepler doubled with two outs and was stranded, but Juan Castro led off the third by homering on an 88 mph two-seamer. Dozier singled, Joe Mauer doubled and Sanó grounded out to increase the lead to 3-0.

Kepler homered on a curveball with one out in the fourth, and the Twins scored again in the fifth on a pair of walks, Caleb Joseph's throwing error and Sano's double play grounder.

Joseph threw to second on Dozier's attempted steal and the ball appeared to glance off the bag and scooted under an airborne Manny Machado. Dozier raced to third base. Joseph never should have made the throw because Mauer drew a walk.

Cashner threw 12 of his 16 pitches for strikes in the first, but he never had a clean inning and strangely was undone by the longball.

Cortes loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on two walks and a single, but Byron Buxton took a called third strike and Castro grounded into a 1-2-3 double play.

Gibson was 4-4 with an 8.23 ERA and 2.030 WHIP in 11 career starts against the Orioles and registered a 5.66 ERA and 1.935 WHIP in four games at Camden Yards. He walked a batter in each of the first four innings tonight - Machado twice and Trey Mancini twice - but still no hits.