Orioles get off to quick begin, finish Twins’ playoff hopes

Ryan O’Hearn and Colton Cowser each homered, and the Baltimore Orioles cruised to a 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis.

Ryan Mountcastle finished 3-for-5 with a double for Baltimore (89-71), which won the opener of a three-game series. Anthony Santander went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Carlos Santana had a two-run single to lead Minnesota (82-78). The Twins were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

Orioles left-hander Cade Povich (3-9) allowed only two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (15-10) gave up two runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out eight.

The Orioles jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning.

Adley Rutschman hit a leadoff single to left, and O’Hearn followed with a 399-foot homer to right field. The two-run shot marked the 14th homer of the season for O’Hearn, matching his career highs from 2019 and 2023.

Cowser contributed a solo home run in the seventh to increase the Orioles’ lead to 3-0. The blast, which matched O’Hearn’s at 399 feet, was Cowser’s 24th of the season.

Baltimore piled on four more runs in the eighth to make it 7-0.

Ramon Urias started the scoring with an RBI single to left to drive in Jackson Holliday. Gunnar Henderson added the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center.

In the next at-bat, Jordan Westburg notched an RBI groundout. Santander capped the big inning with an RBI single to left.

The Twins got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth. Carlos Correa drew a leadoff walk, Byron Buxton doubled to left, and Santana drove in both of them with a single to right.

Orioles reliever Seranthony Dominguez got the next three outs to finish the game and end the Twins’ playoff hopes. The loss by Minnesota allowed the Kansas City Royals to secure a wild-card playoff berth.

–Field Level Media