Orioles homer 3 more times in an 11-3 rout of Minnesota; they can sweep the series Wednesday
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Ryan O’Hearn homered, Grayson Rodriguez pitched six solid innings and the Baltimore Orioles trounced the Minnesota Twins 11-3 on Tuesday night.
Colton Cowser had two more hits for the Orioles, who have taken the first two games of this series. Rodriguez (3-0) allowed two runs and four hits. He walked three and struck out six.
It was the fourth straight game Baltimore homered at least three times, the first time the team has had a streak that long since 2013.
“It just feels like now we’re clicking, and this is the kind of nights that we can have,” Henderson said.
Cowser raised his average to .405. He scored the first run on James McCann’s two-out double in the second. Then Henderson followed with a drive to right off Chris Paddack (0-1) for his fifth homer this season, putting the Orioles up 3-0.
“That’s a young, hungry lineup. They had a really good approach,” Paddack said. “I thought we executed some really good pitches. After the hit, I’d look up, flash on the board, and some of those pitches, I kind of just shook my head, like, man you just got to tip your cap sometimes.”
Cowser drove in a run with a groundout in the third, and Westburg followed with a two-run shot. Baltimore sent nine men to the plate that inning, and Henderson made it 7-0 with an RBI single.
Rodriguez sailed through the first three innings in 23 pitches, but Byron Buxton had an RBI triple in the fourth. Cowser answered with a run-scoring single.
“Fastball command wasn’t really there. I thought that could have been a lot better,” Rodriguez said. “But being able to pitch with the offspeed was a big step forward.”
Paddack allowed nine runs and 12 hits, but he did make it through five innings for the first time this season. He left with one out in the sixth and a man on third. Anthony Santander drove that runner in with a single that made it 9-2.
The runs matched a career high and the hits were three more than Paddack’s previous high.
O’Hearn hit a two-run shot in the eighth, and Byron Buxton made a spectacular leaping attempt to rob him in right-center field. Officials ended up reviewing the play for fan interference, but the homer stood.
Buxton had made a stellar catch at the wall in center to take extra bases from O’Hearn in the sixth.
Minnesota recalled outfielder Trevor Larnach from Triple-A St. Paul and optioned outfielder Matt Wallner to St. Paul.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Baltimore put RHP Tyler Wells (right elbow inflammation) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Saturday and selected the contract of C David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles also designated INF Liván Soto for assignment. … RHP Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) allowed one hit in three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a rehab start for Double-A Bowie.
UP NEXT
Wells was supposed to pitch the series finale Wednesday, and the Orioles did not announce a replacement after the game. RHP Pablo López (1-2) starts for Minnesota.
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