Twins score three in eighth to beat O's, take series finale
The Orioles rallied once from three runs down, but they could not do it twice.
Taking advantage of a Jimmy Paredes error, the Twins scored three in the eighth today to snap a 3-3 tie and beat the Orioles 6-4 at Camden Yards.
Nelson Cruz hit a solo homer, his 36th, in the ninth to bring the Orioles to within two runs, but that was as close as they got in the final inning.
The Orioles come up a win short in their bid for a four-game sweep and fall to 79-57.
Kevin Gausman took the mound in the eighth and walked Jordan Schafer. Then Danny Santana's liner got by Paredes for a two-base error.
One out later, Andrew Miller came on in relief and was greeted by back-to-back run-scoring hits on two pitches. The first was Joe Mauer's two-run single. After he took second on a throw home Kennys Vargas plated him with another single for a 6-3 edge.
The Orioles were blanked on three singles through six innings by Hughes. But down 3-0, they got even on one big swing.
With one on and out in the O's seventh, J.J. Hardy hit a grounder to third base that might have been an inning-ending double play, but Trevor Plouffe threw the ball into right field.
One out later Nick Hundley hit a three-run homer to left to make Minnesota pay for that miscue. It was No. 4 for Hundley and tied the game 3-3.
Gausman had a shutout on 59 pitches through five innings but the Twins scored three in the top of the sixth. After one-out singles by Santana and Brian Dozier, Mauer hit a 2-2 pitch to deep left that went for a two-run triple. He scored on Vargas' sac fly for the 3-0 lead. Mauer drove in four runs today.
Gausman took the loss, even though he pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits and five runs (four earned) and is 7-7 with an ERA of 3.93.
Hardy left today's game before the top of the eighth inning due to a lower back spasm. He went 0-for-3 today.
Today's crowd of 33,156 put the Orioles over the two million mark for the season. They have drawn 2,026,018 with 13 home dates left.
With a win the Orioles would have moved 24 games over the .500 for the first time since ending the 2012 season at 93-69.
Now 6-2 on this 11-game homestand, the Orioles begin a three-game series with Cincinnati on Tuesday night when Bud Norris (11-8, 4.00) faces right-hander Mat Latos (5-3, 3.15 ERA).
Kevin Gausman took the mound in the eighth and walked Jordan Schafer. Then Danny Santana's liner got by Paredes for a two-base error.
One out later, Andrew Miller came on in relief and was greeted by back-to-back run-scoring hits on two pitches. The first was Joe Mauer's two-run single. After he took second on a throw home Kennys Vargas plated him with another single for a 6-3 edge.
The Orioles were blanked on three singles through six innings by Hughes. But down 3-0, they got even on one big swing.
With one on and out in the O's seventh, J.J. Hardy hit a grounder to third base that might have been an inning-ending double play, but Trevor Plouffe threw the ball into right field.
One out later Nick Hundley hit a three-run homer to left to make Minnesota pay for that miscue. It was No. 4 for Hundley and tied the game 3-3.
Gausman had a shutout on 59 pitches through five innings but the Twins scored three in the top of the sixth. After one-out singles by Santana and Brian Dozier, Mauer hit a 2-2 pitch to deep left that went for a two-run triple. He scored on Vargas' sac fly for the 3-0 lead. Mauer drove in four runs today.
Gausman took the loss, even though he pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits and five runs (four earned) and is 7-7 with an ERA of 3.93.
Hardy left today's game before the top of the eighth inning due to a lower back spasm. He went 0-for-3 today.
Today's crowd of 33,156 put the Orioles over the two million mark for the season. They have drawn 2,026,018 with 13 home dates left.
With a win the Orioles would have moved 24 games over the .500 for the first time since ending the 2012 season at 93-69.
Now 6-2 on this 11-game homestand, the Orioles begin a three-game series with Cincinnati on Tuesday night when Bud Norris (11-8, 4.00) faces right-hander Mat Latos (5-3, 3.15 ERA).
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