Recap: Baltimore vs. Minnesota
Sports Network | September 13, 2008
Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Denard Span hit a pair of home runs and ended with four runs driven in, as the Minnesota Twins crushed the Baltimore Orioles, 12-2, in the opener of a doubleheader from Camden Yards.
The double-dip was made necessary thanks to Friday night's postponement.
Justin Morneau went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, drove in a pair and scored twice for the Twins, who have won three of four to find themselves a half-game behind the White Sox for the AL Central lead. The ChiSox had both games of a doubleheader with the Tigers rained out on Saturday. Carlos Gomez knocked in a career-high four runs in a 2-for-4 effort.
Scott Baker (9-4) got the win after surrendering a run on four hits over six innings. His counterpart, Daniel Cabrera (8-10), took the loss as he was struck for four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits over 5 1/3 stanzas.
Ramon Hernandez drove in a run for the O's, who have dropped 16 of 19 to fall 16 games under .500. Nick Markakis drove in the other run in defeat.
Span led off the third inning with a homer to right. Alexi Casilla then singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and crossed home on Morneau's double. Jason Kubel worked a walk, and Brandon Fahey's error on a Delmon Young grounder loaded the bases. A Brian Buscher fielder's choice made it a 4-1 game.
Minnesota tacked on three more runs in the seventh inning. Brian Burres walked Joe Mauer, who scored as Morneau followed with a double. Kubel then went down swinging and Young was issued an intentional walk. Pinch-hitter Brendan Harris worked a walk off new pitcher Alfredo Simon to load the bases and two batters later, Gomez connected on a two-run single to make it 7-1.
With two gone in the home half, Brian Roberts singled off Boof Bonser and moved to second on a wild pitch. Markakis followed with an RBI double, and it was 7-2.
A Gomez double off Bob McCrory in the ninth plated two runs, which brought in Alberto Castillo from the 'pen. Span greeted him with a three-run homer to right, making it a 12-2 contest.
The Twins got on the board in the first inning when Mauer reached first on a fielder's choice, moved to second on Morneau's walk and crossed home as Kubel doubled to right. But the O's tied it in the home half as consecutive two- out singles from Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff and Hernandez plated a run.
Saturday's tilt marked the first of 10 straight road tests for the Twins. Minnesota is just 32-40 on the road this season and will next visit Cleveland for three games before wrapping up the trek with a key four-game set at AL East leader Tampa Bay...The Twins had a 14-game road trip from August 21- September 4 due to the Republican National Convention being held in Minneapolis, and won just five times on the four-city tour...Cabrera hadn't pitched more than 4 1/3 innings in any of his last three starts coming in...Baltimore took two of three games from Minnesota at the Metrodome earlier this season, but the Twins won all seven meetings between the clubs in 2007. Since the start of the 2006 campaign, Minnesota is 15-5 overall against the Orioles and 9-2 at Camden Yards...Prior to the game, Minnesota reinstated outfielder Michael Cuddyer from the 15-day disabled list. He grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.
