BALTIMORE (AP) — Ryan Mountcastle homered twice, and Austin Hays hit a home run and saved a run with his arm as the Baltimore Orioles outlasted the Minnesota Twins 5-3 on Thursday night.
Hays hit a tiebreaking homer with one out in the eighth off Jhoan Duran (0-1), and Mountcastle followed with a solo shot of his own. Mountcastle had homered in the second, and Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo went deep as well for Baltimore.
Hays also threw Max Kepler out at the plate in the fourth.
Byron Buxton hit a home run for Minnesota, which was without manager Rocco Baldelli, second baseman Luis Arraez and pitcher Dylan Bundy because they tested positive for COVID-19 before the game.
Jorge López (3-1) got the final four outs for Baltimore to earn the win.
Mountcastle put the Orioles up 1-0, and the drive by Mullins made it 2-1 in the third. Buxton hit a two-run shot in the fifth, but Mateo tied it in the bottom half.
In the fourth, Hays uncorked a throw all the way to the plate from deep down the line in left, cutting down Kepler at home on Gary Sánchez’s double.
The Twins had another runner thrown out at the plate on an odd play in the third. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Buxton hit a grounder to third, and the Orioles tried to turn a double play up the middle. One run scored easily on the play, and when second baseman Rougned Odor’s throw got past first, rookie Jose Miranda tried to come home too.
Miranda was initially called safe on a close play after the throw by first baseman Mountcastle but was ruled out after a replay review.
MOVING UP
Catcher Adley Rutschman, baseball’s No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk from Double-A Bowie. Rutschman reached Triple-A last year but went down with a triceps problem before this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: SS Carlos Correa was hit by a pitch in the fifth. The ball appeared to deflect off his wrist or forearm and catch him around the right shoulder. He stayed in the game. But next time up, a pitch appeared to hit at least one of his hands while they were on the handle of the bat and he was in the middle of a half-swing. The ball went into fair territory and Correa was easily retired. … Bench coach Jayce Tingler managed in Baldelli’s place.
Orioles: Manager Brandon Hyde said OF Tyler Nevin (groin) was probably available off the bench, but he didn’t play.
UP NEXT
Twins: Minnesota returns home to face Oakland. Josh Winder (1-0) takes the mound for the Twins against Cole Irvin (2-1) on Friday night.
Orioles: Baltimore hosts Kansas City on Friday night. Jordan Lyles (2-2) starts for the Orioles against Carlos Hernandez (0-1).
