BALTIMORE _ Though nobody knew it at the time, Sunday's Twins game was over after one pitch.
Brian Dozier smashed that 91-mph fastball from Kevin Gausman into the left field seats, and just like that, Jose Berrios had all the run support he would need to make it a happy Easter. Jake Odorizzi pitched six shutout innings on Thursday, Kyle Gibson threw six hitless innings Saturday, and yet somehow the 23-year-old right-hander managed to outpitch both, recording his first career shutout, first career complete game and first victory of the season, a 7-0 three-hitter against the flummoxed Orioles.
Minnesota leaves Maryland with warm memories of Camden Yards, the ballpark that set the Twins off to an 0-9 start just two seasons ago. They've upgraded the pitching since then.
Twins starters recorded 21 consecutive scoreless innings during this series _ recorded 41 straight outs without allowing a hit, matter of fact _ marking the first time Minnesota has received nothing but zeroes from its rotation for three straight games since 2014. Berrios gave up a fly ball to Orioles catcher Chance Sisco that came down just short of the left field wall, glancing off Eddie Rosario's glove for a double. But the other 24 hitters that the Puerto Rican right-hander faced until the ninth inning went down meekly, six via strikeouts. Baltimore hit seven popups, 10 routine ground balls, and zero balls that were remotely threatening.
The only blemish that prevented Berrios from recording the Twins' first one-hitter since an Ervin Santana masterpiece last April: a bunt-induced hiccup in the ninth. Sisco pushed one toward third base, vacated by another of the Twins' frequent shifts. Berrios then walked Chris Davis and allowed a soft line drive into center by Manny Machado, loading the bases. But Berrios ended the 106-pitch beauty by whiffing Adam Jones with a curveball.
Gausman, the Orioles' second-best pitcher a year ago, was not so lucky. After Dozier lined his first pitch into the seats _ his 28th career leadoff home run, and fourth on the first pitch _ things just got worse. He walked Joe Mauer, Rosario bunted against a shift for a hit, and Eduardo Escobar doubled and Byron Buxton singled, producing a four-run inning.
Then the Twins' power took over, with Miguel Sano and Escobar each crushing home runs off Gausman. Dozier put the cap on the day himself, collecting his eighth career two-homer game by launching another against Pedro Araujo.
