MINNEAPOLIS _ The Orioles nearly blew another early lead Sunday at Target Field, but the difference in their 11-5 win over the Minnesota Twins compared with some of the team's most disappointing losses this season was that the team's offense continued to mash after the game became close.
The result was the Orioles' best offensive output in three weeks, making up for a shaky start from right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.
After dropping the first five games of their seven-game road trip to end the first half of the season, the Orioles (42-46) salvaged a series split with the Twins by taking two straight games in Minnesota going into the All-Star break, marking just the fifth time this season the Orioles have won consecutive road games, and just the second time since May 1.
The Orioles' nine runs were the most they've scored since a 15-7 home win over the St. Louis Cardinals on June 17.
Center fielder Adam Jones had his first multi-homer game of the year _ and the 11th of his career _ including a three-run blast four batters into the bottom of the first inning off Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson that landed in the second deck of the left-center-field stands. His blast � which went an estimated 452 feet, according to Statcast _ was his longest of the season.
After the Orioles went up 5-0 on run-scoring hits by Caleb Joseph and Seth Smith in the second, right-hander Jimenez nearly gave the lead away in the bottom half of the inning. Jimenez allowed a run without yielding a hit, hitting Kennys Vargas to open the inning, then issuing three consecutive walks, including one to leadoff man Brian Dozier with the bases loaded.
Robbie Grossman then took a full-count sinker to left to drive in two more runs, and Max Kepler's double scored another run to make it a 5-4 game.
The afternoon was setting up for a script similar to the one that played out the last time the Orioles faced Gibson on May 22 at Camden Yards, when they ran out to a 5-0 second-inning lead but Jimenez couldn't hold the lead, unable to get beyond four innings as the game ended in a 14-7 loss that was one of the team's ugliest of the season.
And on Friday night here, right-hander Kevin Gausman squandered a six-run third-inning lead in an eventual 9-6 loss to the Twins.
But Jimenez settled himself, and the Orioles tacked on four runs in the fifth inning _ a frame that included Jones' second homer of the afternoon to give him 15 this season.
After Jimenez labored through a 43-pitch innings that had Orioles manager Buck Showalter ready to turn to his bullpen early _ lefty Richard Bleier began warming up after the Twins first run _ Jimenez recovered to retire nine of the final 11 batters he faced.
Jimenez managed to go five innings, leaving the game after throwing 103 pitches.
He stranded two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning. He allowed a leadoff single to Grossman and walked Vargas with two outs, but induced a flyout to center to escape the inning.
Still, Jimenez's outing wasn't on par with his previous success at Target Field _ he entered the afternoon with 4-1 record and 1.81 ERA in seven previous starts _ as he allowed four runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Jimenez has failed to get beyond five innings in six of his last eight starts.
Even though the Twins scored off Jimenez in just one inning _ the entire Orioles rotation has been the victim of the big inning _ he has a 6.64 ERA in five starts since returning to the Orioles rotation.
Jones had a five-RBI afternoon, and his production resulted in part from his aggressiveness.
His first home run _ which came in his first at-bat _ came on the first pitch, when Jones jumped on a slider from Gibson and launched it over the bullpens.
Jones' second homer, also off Gibson, led off the Orioles' four-run fifth inning and came on the second pitch of the at-bat.
Ten of Jones' 15 homers this season have come on the first or second pitch of the at-bat.
Left-hander Richard Bleier provided the Orioles some critical length to allow the offense to extend the lead, pitching 2 2/3 innings and allowing one hit and one unearned run in the eighth.
Starting the sixth inning in relief of Jimenez, Bleier retired the first six batters he faced, all on groundouts. Miguel Sano reached to open the eighth on a fielding error by shortstop Ruben Tejada, then scored after a double by Kennys Vargas and an RBI groundout two batters later.
Bleier's outing was his longest since his first appearance of the season, when he pitched four innings in long relief May 1.
Bleier has allowed just one earned run over his past 20 appearances spanning 22 innings. His ERA this season is 1.48.
Miguel Castro got the final out of the eighth, and closer Zach Britton retired the Twins in order in the ninth.
Britton, making his third appearance since returning from the DL, needed just 12 pitches to get through the inning, recording two groundouts and a strikeout of Grossman to end the game.
