Tillman struggles early and Twins complete three-game sweep

Needing a win to avoid being swept three straight by the Twins, Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman struggled early today and the Orioles never could get even. They lost 4-3 as Minnesota completed the sweep.

Tillman allowed nine hits and four runs over five innings as he falls to 1-1 with an ERA of 4.43 through four starts. He has pitched five innings or less three times.

The Orioles head into an off-day with a four-game losing streak and 25-20 record. They are 3-10 over their past 13 games. Minnesota leaves town at 25-18 overall and 14-5 in road games. The Twins have won 10 of their last 14 games.

The Orioles have lost seven consecutive one-run games. Once 8-1 in those contests, they are now 8-8 in one-run decisions.

The Twins scored three runs on four hits to take the 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Brian Dozier led off with a single and moved to third when Jorge Polanco doubled. A one-out walk loaded the bases and a two-run single by Kennys Vargas made it 2-0. Eduardo Escobar's single made it 3-0. Tillman stranded the bases loaded on his 36th pitch of the inning.

Dozier led off the second with a double and advanced to third, but was cut down 6-2 at the plate on a nice play and throw by shortstop J.J. Hardy. Miguel Sanó reached on that fielder's choice and scored on Max Kepler's RBI double to make it a 4-0 Minnesota lead. Tillman was at 57 pitches through two innings and finished with 104.

Meanwhile, the Orioles slowly got back in this game. They did it one swing at a time.

Hardy's solo homer to left off José Berríos in the third made it a 4-1 game. Hardy hit No. 3 on an 0-1 curveball that traveled 396 feet.

Down by that three-run margin, the O's hit two solo homers in the last of the seventh. Chris Davis led off with a homer to right that was his 10th of the year. That was No. 209 for Davis as an Oriole and that ties him with Brady Anderson for seventh on the club's all-time list.

One out later, Jonathan Schoop's homer to left brought the Orioles within 4-3. Schoop hit No. 6, his first homer since April 24. It knocked Berríos from the game after he had allowed four hits and the three runs over 6 1/3 innings.

An O's rally in the eighth ended when lefty Taylor Rogers got Davis looking at a called third strike on a curveball with two runners on.

The Orioles completed a 2-4 homestand and now take Thursday off before beginning a weekend series at Houston on Friday night.