Field Level Media
Jun 2, 2021
Ryan Mountcastle hit a three-run homer and DJ Stewart added a two-run shot as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the visiting Minnesota Twins 6-3 Wednesday night.
The Orioles have won two in a row after snapping their 14-game losing streak Tuesday, which also ended a 16-game dry spell against the Twins dating to 2018. This also was Baltimore's first home series victory this year --the team took two of three -- and the Orioles had not won consecutive games since they won three from April 29 to May 1.
Baltimore starter Matt Harvey served as an opener in Wednesday's game, giving up one run in three innings before rookie Tyler Wells (1-0) threw three shutout innings. Wells struck out two while allowing one hit for his first major-league victory.
For the Twins, starter Randy Dobnak (1-5) took the loss as his early season problems continued. He allowed three runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Minnesota's injury problems kept mounting. Catcher Mitch Garver left early in Tuesday's game and had subsequent surgery after a foul ball hit him around the groin.
The Twins took a 1-0 lead Wednesday when catcher Ryan Jeffers homered in the second. Jeffers was called up from Triple-A St. Paul after the Garver injury. Manager Rocco Baldelli said it's going to be "a bare minimum of a couple of weeks" before Garver comes back.
Minnesota also lost fill-in center fielder Rob Refsnyder, putting him on the seven-day concussion injured list because he crashed into the outfield wall earlier in the series. The Twins brought up center fielder Gilberto Celestino from St. Paul. Plus, pitcher Caleb Thielbar left with a mild groin strain in the seventh and is day-to-day.
Baltimore tied the score 1-1 in the fourth when Stewart scored on second baseman Nick Gordon's throwing error. Stewart then gave the Orioles a 3-1 lead in the fifth when he hit a two-out, two-run homer to right.
Mountcastle stretched the margin to 6-1 with his three-run shot to center against Alex Colome in the seventh. That came later in the inning after Thielbar left.
Jeffers struck again in the eighth with a triple off of Shawn Armstrong. The catcher then scored on a Jorge Polanco sacrifice fly later in the inning against Paul Fry.
--Field Level Media