Orioles clinch home Wild Card with 7-2 win over Twins (updated)

MINNEAPOLIS – Never mind that the Tigers refused to lose again tonight, still behaving like a team determined to run the table. The Orioles used their own tools to nail down the home Wild Card.

Ryan O’Hearn hit his first home run since Aug. 27, Cade Povich twirled 5 2/3 scoreless innings and the Orioles pulled away from the Twins for a 7-2 victory at Target Field.

Game 1 of the best-of-three Wild Card Series will be played at Camden Yards, with the opponent and time to be determined. It’s finally done.

The Orioles can adjust their rotation this weekend and rest some regulars. They can schedule their Monday workout. The only reason to check the out-of-town scoreboard is curiosity or boredom.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t win the division but to get home field through the Wild Card is huge," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We’re gonna be pumped to play in front of our fans. We know there’s gonna be a lot of energy and excitement in the ballpark and our guys are really looking forward to that.”

“It’s insane. It’s incredible, actually, how loud it is," O'Hearn said.

"Looking forward to hearing the ‘O’ in the National Anthem. Just seeing the energy in the stadium. Hopefully going to put on a show for our home fans and avenge how last year’s postseason games went.”

Colton Cowser hit his 24^th home run with two outs in the seventh inning to increase the lead to 3-0 and move the Orioles closer to their 89^th victory.

O’Hearn’s last homer came at Dodger Stadium to leave him stuck on 13. The previous one was on July 20 in Texas. His last Camden Yards home run was June 26 against the Guardians.

"I think over the last two weeks, swings have been better," he said. "I’ve had better at-bats, hitting the ball hard and contributing more than I was previously to that. Just kind of keep going, trying to continue to dial it in. I feel good right now, feel good where I’m at. At this point, the most important thing is that the team wins. I want to be right in the middle of it, helping us win games in the postseason.

"I think I’ve been maybe swinging a little bit too hard, trying to hit the ball so hard. Working with Borgs (Matt Borgschulte) before the game today, we were talking about effort level and swinging 100 percent is not ideal. I think as hitters, maybe when things aren’t going well, you try to make up for it by that it feels good to swing hard, and that’s not necessarily the right approach. I heard a hitting coach one time told me, ‘You want to be a surgeon, not a butcher.’ I think that’s very true. Kind of being smooth and catching the ball out front, making sure I hit the barrel and the ball’s going to go."

Adley Rutschman led off the second inning with an opposite-field single against Pablo López and O’Hearn pulled a sweeper to right field for a 2-0 lead.

"That was one of his better swings in a while, to be able to get to something down and in there and hit a long one," Hyde said. "Pablo López is really tough and we had our work cut out of us. We knew that he was gonna be out there for a while just the way their bullpen was. Thank you, Marlins. But yeah, that was a great swing by O.”

López threw a career-high 111 pitches and was removed with two outs in the sixth inning and the bases loaded. Gunnar Henderson bounced into a force.  

Cowser padded the lead with his home run off reliever Caleb Thielbar and the Orioles scored four times in the eighth against Kody Funderburk, beginning the inning in station-to-station style with consecutive singles by Emmanuel Rivera, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins and Ramón Urías. Henderson had a sacrifice fly, Jordan Westburg plated Mullins on a grounder to Funderburk and Santander singled for his 102^nd RBI.

Povich could get bumped to the bullpen or off the roster with the Orioles required to go from 28 to 26 players. He’s a hot hand that’s held the Tigers to two runs in five innings in back-to-back outings and allowed only two hits tonight for the third start in a row. But the ‘pen already has four lefties.

“He keeps getting better," Hyde said. "The command has improved, up to 96 tonight. Nine righties in their lineup and just an outstanding job of mixing speeds, working ahead of hitters. He just keeps getting better.”

Corbin Burnes takes the ball Tuesday, with Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer following. The Orioles don’t need a fourth in the Wild Card round but might need a different Saturday starter in Game 1 of the Division Series. They could choose between Povich and Albert Suárez, with the other available in relief.

All of this is discussed in meetings with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, along with the question of carrying 12 or 13 pitchers for the Wild Card.

"You know, I understand the roster, I understand me being young," Povich said. "But just treating every start as kind of a tryout for the postseason, giving my best to hopefully get a chance in the postseason, and I’m very pleased with how this last month went.

"I want to do whatever I can to help this team, help this team host a Wild Card spot, help this team in the postseason, whichever way possible that I can.”

Povich used 13 pitches in the first inning to retire leadoff hitter Manny Margot on a fly ball, and he stranded Byron Buxton after a two-out double. The 24-year-old rookie, facing the team that drafted him, retired 11 in a row before walking Kyle Farmer and 15 of 17.

Perhaps he was a little more pumped to go against the Twins, who traded him to the Orioles along with reliever Yennier Cano in 2022.

"Normally that’s the case," Hyde said. "I haven’t talked to him about it. I don’t know if it was a revenge game or not for him, but I think there’s always a little something extra when you’re pitching against some guys you know and some guys that you played with and the team that traded you.”

Margot doubled with one out in the sixth, Carlos Correa grounded out and manager Brandon Hyde signaled for Jacob Webb after reaching the mound. Buxton lined out to Mullins.

"My fiancée’s from here, being closer to family, that’s kind of what meant a lot to me," Povich said, "and then just trying to give us an opportunity to stay in Baltimore for the Wild Card.”

Povich was hitting 96 mph with his fastball, heights he only reached in the minors.

“I think today I was just smooth," he said. "You know, I said I think when I was with Minnesota (in the minors), for the first couple innings of some of my starts with them I would kind of be in that mid-90s spot, so I guess maybe that just came back a little bit today. But felt good. Just, I think, a lot of it is just kind of the work that has been taken into account throughout the entire year, with mechanics and in the weight room and training room.”

A bullpen that imploded in New York was much sturdier in Minneapolis until the ninth. Webb retired all four batters faced and struck out two, and Danny Coulombe tossed a scoreless eighth. But the first three batters reached against Seranthony Domínguez in the ninth, with Carlos Santana lining a two-run single into right field.

Tonight’s loss eliminated the Twins. The Tigers and Royals are the other Wild Cards.

One of them will be at Camden Yards next week.

“Of course, you want to win the division," O'Hearn said. "Disappointed with how things unfolded, but we’re in and we get to start at home and that’s huge. We get to play games at home, starting Tuesday and anything can happen. We’re happy we’re in. We’re happy we’ve got home field advantage in the Wild Card, and we’re ready to go.”

* Hyde isn't ready to announce Saturday's starter.

“We’re still determining that right now," he said. "The next two days, we’re up in the air right now.”