BALTIMORE (AP) — Cedric Mullins and Ramón Urías each hit a two-run homer during Baltimore’s six-run third inning, and the Orioles went on to a 9-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.
The first-place Twins lost for just the second time in 13 games. Dylan Bundy (3-2) allowed nine runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings against his former team.
Carlos Correa homered for Minnesota.
Kyle Bradish, traded for Bundy in 2019, gave up four runs and six hits in four innings, but the Baltimore bullpen was solid the rest of the way. Cionel Pérez (1-0) went two innings to earn the win.
Trey Mancini had three infield singles for the Orioles. On two of them, he ended up on second because of throwing errors when Twins infielders rushed to try to get him at first.
While Minnesota was having a shoddy night defensively, Baltimore’s infield turned five double plays in the first seven innings — four on grounders up the middle, and one on a shallow fly.
Mullins homered to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead, and after consecutive walks, Austin Hays hit an RBI single. A run-scoring single by Rougned Odor made it 4-0, and then Urías followed with his home run.
The Twins struck back quickly with four runs in the fourth. Correa hit a two-run homer, and Nick Gordon added an RBI single.
With the score 6-3, the Twins still had the bases loaded with one out when Gio Urshela hit a sacrifice fly. Gary Sánchez, the runner on first, looked as though he had to dodge the throw coming in from right field. Had the ball bounced off him accidentally, another run might have scored.
The next batter, Gilberto Celestino, hit a sharp liner toward right that appeared certain to be a run-scoring single. But that ball did hit Sánchez between first and second for the third out.
The Orioles then scored three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Mullins hit a single, and on Mancini’s infield hit, first baseman Jose Miranda threw the ball away, leaving runners on second and third. Anthony Santander followed with an RBI single and Hays hit a sacrifice fly. Ryan Mountcastle then doubled home a run, finally chasing Bundy.
LOCAL SUPPORT
The Orioles warmed up wearing Washington Capitals shirts. The Capitals opened their first-round NHL playoff series with a win at Florida on Tuesday night.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: OF Max Kepler (stomach bug) did not play.
Orioles: RHP Chris Ellis had arthroscopic shoulder surgery performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. Manager Brandon Hyde said Ellis is out for the season.
UP NEXT
Minnesota sends Chris Archer (0-0) to the mound Thursday night against Spenser Watkins (0-0) in the series finale.
