Byron Buxton picked a good time to get his first major-league RBI, lining a tiebreaking single to left with two outs in the seventh inning that gave the Minnesota Twins a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
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Gonzalez retired eight of his next nine batters before first baseman Joe Mauer singled and designated hitter Miguel Sano ripped a home run to left to make it 7-0 in the fifth inning.
Kurt Suzuki followed with a flare past the drawn-up infield for a 4-3 lead.
The Minnesota Twins look for a win after splitting their last 10 games. He was just trying to battle and put the ball in play.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen, of Taiwan, throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, August 21, 2015, in Baltimore. Shortstop Eduardo Escobar doubled to start the inning and moved to third on Buxton’s sacrifice bunt, scoring on second baseman Brian Dozier’s single.
Left fielder Eddie Rosario drew a one-out walk off Tillman in the seventh. Sano has reached base safely in eight straight games and in his last seven games he’s hitting.
“He goes through some periods, some sequences, where you’re going, ‘All right, there it is, here we go, ‘” manager Buck Showalter said.
Twins: Kyle Gibson (8-9, 3.99 ERA) will be on the mound Saturday for Game 3 (6:05 p.m. CT) of the four-game set in Baltimore.
Right-hander Kevin Jepsen came on in the ninth to earn his second save in two nights as closer Glen Perkins (neck) remains out for a few more days.
Recalled from the minors earlier in the week to replace injured outfielder Aaron Hicks, Buxton has gone 5 for 15 in three games and was instrumental in Minnesota’s second straight comeback win over the Orioles.
“I’m glad he’s back, and I’m glad he’s encouraged”, Molitor said. Before you know it, you’re bleeding to death – thanks to that paper cut. “It’s just one of those things where if you’re swinging, I’m going to keep throwing it”. It was nearly like a repeat of the ALCS from past year , where we saw very similar results. Coming into the game, the Twins had a. 284 average with runners in scoring position – fourth best in baseball behind the Blue Jays (.287), Giants (.286) and Orioles (.286).
Gibson received a no-decision after allowing six runs, four hits and three walks in five innings of an 8-7 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday and has permitted 30 runs in 33 innings since the Mid-Summer Classic.
In his last start, Tillman pitched 7.0 innings, giving up two runs, striking out three and walking three in a 4-2 victory over the Athletics.
Showalter said Gonzalez is putting in the time with pitching coach Dave Wallace and is hopeful the two will find ways to overcome the pitcher’s recent struggles.
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“We’ve been hitting, we’re just a couple hits away”, said Machado, who stranded the bases loaded in the sixth.
