Twins

7/6 GAME NOTES: Twins Put Up Crooked Number in Third, Hold Tight Rest of the Way in 6-4 Win over Orioles

A six-spot in the third inning gave the Minnesota Twins all the offense they needed — or would get — while Jose Berrios and three relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Orioles offense at bay in a 6-4 win at Target Field on a balmy Thursday night.

A poorly-conceived throw from Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini with one out in the third torpedoed much of the value he provided with the bat on a night where he hit a pair of doubles and scored a pair of runs. His throw extended the inning, but also meant that all six runs allowed by Orioles starter Dylan Bundy were earned, pushing his ERA up to 4.33 by the time he hit the showers.

Just over a month ago, Bundy’s ERA resided under 3.00. In fact, after facing the Twins and holding them to just two earned runs over seven innings on May 23, Bundy’s ERA checked in at 2.92. In three of Bundy’s last four starts, he’s allowed at least five earned runs as he appears to be hitting a bit of a wall as the midseason break creeps up. MASN Sports’ Roch Kubatko told Zone Coverage prior to Thursday’s game that Bundy won’t throw at all during the break, and will slot in the back of the O’s rotation to give him some added rest, considering he threw just over 100 innings last season.

Berrios was merely adequate for the Twins on the night, as he completed the bare minimum tasks to be awarded a quality start. He didn’t get a ton of help from his friends, as Miguel Sano clanged an easy throw at first base from third baseman Eduardo Escobar, and that run came around to score when Mark Trumbo bashed a 3-0 pitch from Berrios onto the berm just over the fence in center.

“I give Jose a lot of credit,” said manager Paul Molitor. “We talk about maturing at this level. We all saw how he struggled with his curveball command in particular compared to what we have seen. But he fought through it. We had a misplay and a 3-0 homer, and we dug a bit of a hole.”

That all took place in the second inning, after Berrios set the Orioles down 1-2-3 in the first. Adam Jones grounded to Escobar to reach on the error, took second on a wild pitch and then scored one pitch later on the majestic blast from Trumbo. The Orioles offense was quiet for much of the rest of the night, tacking on a single run in the fourth on a Paul Janish groundout and another on a Hyun-Soo Kim sac fly to left — both of which drove home Mancini.

The Twins did all their damage in the third. Jason Castro was hit by a pitch on the elbow and moved to second on a Byron Buxton single. After Brian Dozier struck out swinging, Robbie Grossman hit a grounder to first and Mancini came up throwing to second, not realizing the speed with which Buxton was bearing down on shortstop Janish. Buxton’s slide easily beat the throw, and rather than an inning-ending double play with no runs scoring, the Twins were in business with the bases loaded and just one out.

That proved pivotal.

Sano atoned for his earlier mistake by hitting a single so hard out to right that Buxton was held at third base by base coach Gene Glynn. Max Kepler followed with a looping single to left to plate Buxton and Grossman, and the Twins led 3-2. Eduardo Escobar followed with a triple off the scoreboard in right-center — one that hearkened back to the time Jim Thome hit one that took an odd carom off the far-right side of the scoreboard and took a right turn out there — to score both Kepler and Sano, and he scampered home when Jorge Polanco legged out the back end of a fielder’s choice on another double play attempt.

“Offensively, we struggled a lot tonight, but we put together one really nice inning,” Molitor said. “We found a way to put up a big number and make it stand. You’d like to see your club to find a way to maybe add on along the way, but the pitching held up.”

“It was definitely a second wind they gave to me,” Berrios said of his offense digging him out of an early 2-0 hole. “Usually they do a good job of picking me up, and that’s what so good about them. Yesterday they didn’t pick up Erv as good as he pitched, but they were able to do that for me. I told Erv maybe he should have won yesterday, but I got the win today.”

The inning ended when Castro flew out to left — the same inning which started with him getting hit by a pitch.

After Berrios departed, Tyler Duffey worked into hot water but escaped without allowing an earned run for the first time in his last three outings. Over that time frame, his ERA jumped more than a run, from 3.55 to 4.61. Duffey got two quick outs on a Seth Smith groundout to first and a Manny Machado swinging strikeout, but then allowed a Jonathan Schoop single followed by one from Jones and a walk to Trumbo to load the bases. However, Duffey bore down and got Mancini to ground to short to end the threat.

Taylor Rogers pitched the eighth and allowed a leadoff hit to Welington Castillo, but otherwise danced out of danger, while Brandon Kintzler worked around a one-out single from Schoop in the ninth for his 23rd save of the year. That tied him with Boston’s Craig Kimbrel for the American League lead, while only Greg Holland of Colorado has more in MLB (28).

Briefly

  • To make room for Friday’s starter Felix Jorge on the roster, the Twins announced the optioning of right-handed reliever Alan Busenitz, who did not pitch since being recalled earlier in the week.
  • The Twins improved to 4-0 against the Orioles this season and have five straight wins over Baltimore.
  • Kintzler joined an exclusive list of (now) seven Twins closers to reach 23 saves before the All-Star break: Rick Aguilera, LaTroy Hawkins, Jeff Reardon, Glen Perkins and Eddie Guardado.

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