The Twins finished 6-1 against the Baltimore Orioles in 2018, went 6-0 in 2019 and they are now 4-0 this season to make it 16 wins in a row over the Birds, including the Twins’ 3-2 victory on Monday in extra innings.
The Twins continue to have success against the Orioles, although I wouldn’t call them emphatic victories. The Twins scored a run on an RBI ground out, a wild pitch and finally Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run in the 10th inning.
Strong starting pitching kept the Twins in the game. Jose Berrios made a quality start, allowing just one run over eight innings, although he didn’t figure in the decision. The win went to reliever Taylor Rogers, the save to Hansel Robles, his fourth.
Big Mike gets the ball on Tuesday.
Extra innings…
-Why didn’t the Orioles play the Twins in 2020? Because of the pandemic-induced shorter season, the Twins played only within the AL Central and NL Central.
-It was nice to see Josh Donaldson have a good game. He had three hits, a walk and looked sharp defensively at third base.
-If you think the Twins have gotten off to a slow start this year, think again. I say that after hearing Twins broadcaster Dick Bremer recall May 1982 during Monday’s broadcast. That month the Twins played 29 games and won only THREE of those contests. That’s right: the Twins were 3-26. The three wins were a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on the road, a 10-6 win over the Red Sox at home and an 8-7 win over the Orioles on the road. The Twins lost 102 games that season.
-I’m not the only one who thinks the Twins can still turn this season around. (OK, sometimes I feel that way).
This is what ESPN baseball writer Bradford Doolittle had to say:
I think Cleveland and Minnesota will eventually flip spots in the AL Central. Cleveland has too many holes in its lineup, and the rotation hasn’t been that great, either. Too much of the weight there is carried by Jose Ramirez and the bullpen. Also: So far, Cleveland has played one of MLB’s easiest schedules. Meanwhile, the Twins have way too much talent and depth to have played as poorly as they have over the past few weeks. They are already snapping back into form.
-Old friend alert: Former Twins pitcher Kohl Stewart picked up the win on Monday in the Chicago Cubs’ 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres, which is no small feat considering how well the Padres are playing. Stewart allowed an unearned run over five innings with a walk and two strikeouts.