The Minnesota Twins were hoping to avoid a sweep in Baltimore. They were also looking to snap a 3-game losing streak and a 6-game losing streak against the Baltimore Orioles. The Minnesota Twins did have their ace on the mound in RHP Pablo López so that should improve their chances. The Orioles sent RHP Abert Suárez to the mound for his 1st start in Major League Baseball since 2016 & 1st appearance in an MLB game since 2017. A win today would make it a 3-4 record on the road trip instead of 2-5 which doesn’t sound as good.

2024 Minnesota Twins Schedule
6-10

MLB Standings
4th Place in AL Central 

A 6-10 record isn’t good at all but they have responded better as the season has gone on. They had a nice 3.-2 win vs the Los Angeles Dodgers before this road trip. They also swept the doubleheader in Detroit after losing 8-2 in the first game in Detroit so let’s see how they did today.

2024 Baltimore Orioles Schedule
11-6

MLB Standings
2nd Place in AL East

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Here’s how both teams lined up:

Minnesota Twins Lineup:

Baltimore Orioles Lineup:

Game Recap

The Baltimore Orioles led the league in home runs when this game began and had already hit 6 home runs in the prior 2 games of this 3-game series. SIX! That’s 3 per game! Does that mean they’ll hit 3 again today?

Baltimore Orioles RHP Albert Suárez struck out 2B Edouard Julien (or “What” 🤣) swinging to begin the game. He then got C Ryan Jeffers to pop up to 2nd and DH Byron Buxton to fly out to left field and he only needed 9 pitches to do it. 

With Pablo López on the mound, Twins fans expected a great pitching performance but that’s easier said than done against an aggressive hitting team. He attacked SS Gunnar Henderson immediately with an outside fastball that was fouled off. The 2nd pitch was also a fastball but it was High Heat for ball 1. Another heater for the 3rd pitch was up & in and also fouled off. Pablo switched it up with a curveball but Henderson fouled that off too so Pablo went back to the heater and…

Pablo missed his spot and that baseball is now gone! So was the perfect game, the no-hitter & the shutout! Oh boy! Hopefully, Pablo will settle down.

Minnesota Twins 0 | 1 Baltimore

He struck out C Adley Rutschman swinging then got RF Ryan O’Hearn to ground out to 1st & DH Anthony Santander to pop up to the catcher to end the 1st inning. 

In the top of the 2nd, Twins 3B Jose Miranda hit a 1-out double but just-called-up LF Trevor Larnach lined out to center field and CF Austin Martin grounded out to short.

Twins RHP Pablo López had a comebacker off the bat of Cedric Mullins that will wake up anyone playing or watching it:

He allowed just 1 single & struck out 6 over the next 5 innings to keep the deficit at just 1 run for his team & he was helped by CF Austin Martin’s defense on the 3rd out in the bottom of the 6th:

Look at the speed! Maybe we should call him Aston Martin?

The Twins offense wasn’t helping him out much though because they had just a 2-out double off the bat of RF Alex Kirilloff (4) in the 4th, a 2-out single from SS Willi Castro in the 5th & C Ryan Jeffers getting hit by a pitch & advancing to 2nd on a wild pitch with 1 out in the 6th but Baltimore pitcher Albert Suárez made a great defensive play to get Jeffers out at 3rd on a swinging bunt off the bat of Byron Buxton:

Suárez was then pulled & Baltimore brought in former Twins LHP Danny Coulombe to face the left-handed bat of Alex Kirilloff and he got Kirilloff to ground out to 2nd to end the top of the 6th inning with the Twins still down by a score of 1-0.

In the top of the 7th, after Jose Miranda grounded out to the pitcher for the 1st out, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli pinch-hit OF Manuel Margot for Trevor Larnach & Manuel walked so Baltimore went to RHP Jacob Webb to face Austin Martin. Austin worked the at-bat to a full count and got a high fastball that was very similar to an earlier pitch that was called a strike so maybe he was ready for it because he drove it to left center field & Manuel was off with the pitch since the count was full:

We had a tie ball game & Aston, I mean Austin, Martin was on 2nd base!!!

Minnesota Twins 1 | 1 Baltimore

Willi Castro struck out for the 2nd out.

Rocco went to his bullpen with the heart of the Orioles order coming up. He brought in LHP Steven Okert. He got Austin Hays to fly out to center field on one pitch for the 1st out. Then… 2 pitches later:

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Just like that! The game was tied again! Ughh!

Minnesota Twins 2 | 2 Baltimore

The next batter, 1B Ryan Mountcastle, singled but Cedric Mullins struck out swinging for the 2nd out. LF Colton Cowser singled which advanced Mountcastle to 3rd so Rocco went to RHP Brock Stewart to keep the game tied. Cowser stole 2nd base. Did Brock Stewart keep his team in the game:

Yes, he did!!!

The Twins got a 2-out walk from Alex Kirilloff in the 8th but Miranda struck out to end it. Baltimore got a 1-out single but Stewart got Rutschman to pop out to 3rd & struck out Hays swinging so it was on to the 9th inning.

The Orioles brought in closer RHP Craig Kimbrel. He struck out Manuel Margot then got a flyout & a lineout to send it to the bottom of the 9th. The Twins brought in RHP Griffin Jax to pitch the 9th & he struck out Anthony Santander for the 1st out. Ryan Mountcastle singled to center field to bring Cedric Mullins to the plate…

WOW! That’s rough!!! Pack your stuff & let’s go home, guys!

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Final Score

Minnesota Twins 2 | 4 Baltimore Orioles
W-Craig Kimbrel (3-0) L-Griffin Jax (1-2)

Pitching

Starters
MN:
RHP Pablo López: 
6IP 2H 1R/1ER 0BB 7K 1HR – No Decision

BAL:
Albert Suárez: 
5.2IP 3H 0R/0ER 0BB 4K – No Decision

Bullpen
MN:
LHP Steven Okert: 
0.2IP 3H 1R/1ER 0BB 1K 1HR – Blown Save (2)
RHP Brock Stewart:
1.1IP 1H 0R/0ER 0BB 3K
RHP Griffin Jax: 
0.1IP 2H 2R/2ER 0BB 1K 1HR – Loss (1-2)

BAL:
LHP Danny Coulombe: 
0.2IP 0H 1R/1ER 1BB 0K – Hold (3)
RHP Jacob Webb: 
0.1IP 2H 1R/1ER 0BB 1K – Blown Save (1)
LHP Keegan Akin: 
0.1IP 0H 0R/0ER 0BB 1K
RHP Yennier Cano: 
1.0IP 0H 0R/0ER 1BB 2K
RHP Craig Kimbrel: 
1IP 0H 0R/0ER 0BB 1K – Win (3-0)

Hitting

Home Runs
MN:
None

BAL:
Gunnar Henderson (6), Anthony Santander (4), 
Cedric Mullins (5) -Walk-Off 2-run Home Run

Doubles
MN:
Jose Miranda (1); Alex Kirilloff (4)

BAL:
None

2-Out RBI
MN (Inning):
Kyle Farmer (7th)

BAL:
None

Other 
(Defense, Key Plays, etc…)

MN:
Austin Martin: 
Diving Catch to end the 6th inning

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Next Up:

A 7-game homestand with a 3-game series vs the Detroit Tigers starting on Friday at 7:10 pm on Bally Sports North & a 4-game series vs the Chicago White Sox 

RHP Joe Ryan
(0-1,  2.60 ERA, 0.92 WHIP*)

vs 

RHP Jack Flaherty 
(0-1, 4.91 ERA, 1.20 WHIP)
*ERA=Earned Run Average, WHIP=Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched

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