BALTIMORE (AP) — The Minnesota Twins lost a couple mainstays in their lineup — and even their manager, too. They had to use every reliever they had over the course of a doubleheader.
The Baltimore Orioles still couldn’t beat them.
Minnesota rallied from a three-run deficit in the opener and a two-run deficit in game two, sweeping its twin bill against the Orioles on Wednesday, 6-3 and 8-6. The Twins have now won 10 games in a row to move three games above .500.
“You use all your relievers in two games. Nobody gave up a run. They kept us in games,” said bench coach Jayce Tingler, standing in for manager Rocco Baldelli, who was dealing with an illness. “It’s up and down the lineup. It feels like it’s a different guy kind of every day making the big play, making the big hit.”
Christian Vázquez hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning of the first game, putting the Twins ahead to stay after they had faced an early 3-0 deficit. In the second game, the Orioles scored six runs in the third to go ahead 6-4. Then Baltimore didn’t score again.
With the score 6-5 in the eighth, Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer to lift Minnesota to another win.
“That was a battle today. Obviously doubleheaders are a grind,” Clemens said. “This team keeps just passing the baton to one another and I thought it was a great team win. This team’s on a roll right now. We just need to keep the confidence up.”
Relievers Danny Coulombe, Brock Stewart (1-0), Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, Jorge Alcala, Kody Funderburk (1-0), Justin Topa and Cole Sands combined to pitch 9 1/3 scoreless innings for Minnesota.
The Twins lost first baseman Ty France to a foot issue in the first game, then outfielder Harrison Bader left the second with groin tightness.
The Orioles are now 11 games under .500, their lowest point since they were 24-35 in 2022. Baltimore was never under .500 at any point last year, and was never more than one game under in 2023.
The Orioles appeared to have a decent shot at salvaging a split Wednesday after Cedric Mullins hit a grand slam in that six-run third inning. Charlie Morton, battered as a starter so far this season, managed three solid innings of relief, allowing only one run.
But in the eighth, Yennier Cano (0-3) came in and took his third loss in his last five appearances. After a single and a stolen base, he balked a runner to third. Then he allowed a walk before Clemens hit a drive to right to send Baltimore to another defeat.
“Teams are getting hits against us in big spots,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “And we’re having a tough time doing that.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
