Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, and the Minnesota Twins posted a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Harrison Bader added a pinch-hit, two-run shot for the Twins, who won their fourth game in a row. Minnesota will try to complete a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon.
Ramon Laureano went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run to lead Baltimore at the plate. Heston Kjerstad also had two hits and drove in a run for the Orioles, who have lost four consecutive games.
Twins left-hander Danny Coulombe (1-0) picked up the win with one scoreless inning of relief. Coulombe followed starting right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, who allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton (0-7) gave up three runs on four hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out two.
Twins closer Jhoan Duran pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his fifth save. Duran struck out the side, including a swinging strikeout of Kjerstad that ended the game.
Baltimore jumped to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Laureano belted a 77 mph curveball an estimated 425 feet to right-center field for his fourth homer of the season.
Buxton responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to give Minnesota the lead. The shot to left, which marked his ninth homer and second three-run blast in two days vs. Baltimore, also scored Willi Castro and Kody Clemens.
The Orioles pulled within 3-2 in the fifth. Laureano hit a two-out double and scored moments later when Kjerstad drove a single to right.
Minnesota made it 5-2 on Bader’s blast in the seventh. Bader came off the bench to belt a 408-foot shot to left field off reliever Keegan Akin to give the Twins a couple of insurance runs.
Both teams went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The Twins stranded four runners, and the Orioles left six on base.
–Field Level Media
