Rivera homers twice, Holliday reaches base five times and Davidson deals in Orioles' 9-2 win (updated)

MINNEAPOLIS – Matt Bowman jogged from the bullpen to the mound to begin warming tonight, keeping him in a familiar routine except for the inning. He isn’t accustomed to pitching in the first. He doesn’t normally face a leadoff hitter.

The Orioles used an opener. Tucker Davidson arrived for bulk relief work. They batted Jackson Holliday atop the order and started him at shortstop. A handful of regulars rested on the bench, only the third time for Gunnar Henderson. The perks of clinching a playoff seeding were flaunted.

Bowman struck out two batters in 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Davidson shut out the Twins over 4 2/3. Ryan O’Hearn and Emmanuel Rivera belted two-run homers off rookie Zebby Matthews and Rivera launched a solo shot off reliever Louie Varland. The Orioles secured the home Wild Card but they didn’t fold, powering past the sagging Twins 9-2 before an announced crowd of 30,558 brave souls at Target Field.

Bowman allowed one hit and threw 19 pitches in his first major league start, and first at any level since 2015 with Triple-A Las Vegas. Davidson, whose contract was selected earlier today, followed him and surrendered four ground ball hits.

"That was nice," manager Brandon Hyde said of Davidson. "He’s pitched in some big games in his career, and had a nice year in Triple-A. Awesome to see him get an opportunity and take full advantage of it tonight.”

The Orioles improved to 90-71, giving them back-to-back 90-win seasons for the first time since 1982-83. They wrap up the regular season on Sunday afternoon and return to Baltimore for a workout and Tuesday’s Game 1.

The Yankees are the No. 1 seed, setting up a possible matchup with the Orioles in the Division Series. They would be the next opponent.

Holliday had his first major league two-walk game. He drew 12 in 200 plate appearances before tonight. He also doubled in the fifth and singled in the seventh and ninth.

“It was really fun to be able to lead off a big league game and play shortstop is pretty special for me," he said. "Have fun, put together a good game, and a good offensive show for the team."

Rivera was the hitting standout with his second career multi-homer game, the first on Aug. 13, 2022 in Colorado, and a run-scoring double. The combined distance of his home runs was 847 feet.

"Incredible," Hyde said. "He’s just done a great job since he’s been here. He’s filled in for us in an amazing way. Great to see him have a huge night tonight on national TV. Everybody’s excited for him in there.”

“It’s been awesome." Holliday said. "He brings a lot of really good energy and kind of edge to our power and it’s been really fun to watch what he’s been able to put together for the past month or so that he’s been with us. It’s been awesome.”

Matthews threw 61 pitches in the first two innings and was behind 5-0. He walked seven batters in 97 minor league innings this season and distributed three free passes before the third.

O’Hearn has homered in consecutive games following a drought that began on Aug. 28. He lined a 96-mph fastball down the left field line at 352 feet. Ramón Urías singled with one out in the second inning and Rivera hit a 442-foot shot to center field that caused him to hop and skip out of the box. Two walks and an Adley Rutschman single increased the lead to 5-0.

Urías singled with two outs in the third and he scored on Rivera’s double. Matthews, voted the Twins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, allowed six runs and seven hits with three walks in three innings. He threw 80 pitches.

Rivera had more in the tank with a 405-foot homer in the fifth, and he walked and singled after it. His four hits, four RBIs and five times on base are career highs. Since Sept. 6, he's batting .364 (16-for-44) in 17 games while trying to stick on the Wild Card roster. His 11 total bases tonight are the most on the team this season.

"It’s something really special, and I think every baseball player hopes to have a night like tonight," he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. "Thankfully, I was able to have that one tonight.

"That’s what you work all year for, and those are the expectations you have coming into a season. Some things didn’t work out the way you may want it to, but at the end of the day, there’s a God up there and things ultimately fall the way they do for a reason."

Hyde had no idea why teammates nicknamed Rivera "The Octopus." He tried to explain.

"Well, my dad had the same nickname of 'The Octopus', 'The Octopi' I guess you can say, since I was a little kid," Rivera said. "That day, he started calling me the same exact thing as my dad."

This led to the obvious follow question. Why did his father have the nickname.

"Well, it just seems like it’s a family thing," he said. "So they just pass it down and decided to put it for me, too. Some people also say it’s because of my defense, and I play really good defense out there, so it makes some sense. But it really is a family thing."

Infielder Kyle Farmer pitched the ninth for the Twins – his fourth career appearance on the mound - and Rivera and Holliday singled. Using an “eephus” in the high 30s and low 40s, Farmer allowed Holliday’s single but no runs.

Rutschman seems to be regaining his plate form. He lined out to left field, singled to left, doubled to left and flied to deep left. Everything in the first five innings hit the opposite way.

Davidson’s first two batters reached on infield hits and his first four outs were ground balls. Brooks Lee’s leadoff single in the sixth was a grounder into left field, and Carlos Santana reached with two outs on a ball that deflected off Rivera’s glove.

Anthony Santander charged Willi Castro’s shallow fly ball in right, made a sliding catch, jumped to his feet and fired to second base for the double play.

Davidson said he was in Atlanta when told about his promotion. He flew into Minnesota yesterday.

“I was ready, any week it could happen,” he said earlier today. “I had a really good June and I was kind of like, ‘OK, this might happen,’ and then we got some guys back from injuries and everything, and it was like, ‘OK, I get the business side of all this, but just continue to go on about everything, about my business and everything.’

“Glad I got to be here. Took a little longer than I thought it would, but I made it.”

The Orioles claimed Tucker on waivers in October and he posted a 3.89 ERA and 1.340 WHIP in 32 games with Triple-A Norfolk. He made 17 starts.

“I thought I had a really good year down there,” he said. “I think I kind of re-found myself as a starting pitcher. … Kind of found my role again and it was fun to kind of learn pitching through the other lineup two or three times versus just one inning or being the lone guy out of the bullpen. I kind of learned a lot about myself.”

The Orioles have beaten the Twins in nine straight games, their second-longest streak after 12 in a row in 1980-81.

Yennier Cano, charged with three runs in one-third of an inning in his last appearance in New York, retired the side in order in the seventh with two comebackers and a strikeout. Cionel Pérez cruised through the eighth on two grounders and a strikeout. Keegan Akin couldn't complete the shutout, giving up a two-out, two-run homer to Ryan Jeffers.

Just some tune-up work before the playoffs. They’re right around the corner.

The Orioles seem to be getting on another roll.

“Yeah, I think so, and I think this is time to do it, right?" Holliday said. "Getting closer to the playoffs, I think this is a really good place.”

* Reliever Colin Selby has joined the team and likely will be used out of the bullpen on Sunday.