BALTIMORE — In ending their 14-game losing streak Tuesday and winning again Wednesday night, this time a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins before an announced 5,945 at Camden Yards, the Orioles reversed course with a difficult tack: pile on the runs early and hold on for dear life.
Minnesota shrunk a big Orioles lead late and brought the tying run to the plate again Wednesday, but a few big swings from DJ Stewart and Ryan Mountcastle, plus a largely impressive performance from the Orioles’ short-handed pitching staff, sent them into their first day off since before the losing streak began at 19-37 and feeling good.
It’s the Orioles' first winning streak since a three-game run April 29-May 1 and their first series victory since taking two of three from the Seattle Mariners early last month, capped by left-hander John Means’ no-hitter May 5.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Orioles pulled even on a throwing error when Twins second baseman Nick Gordon tossed the ball over first baseman Willians Astudillo’s head while trying to turn a double play, allowing Stewart to score from third.
Stewart hit a towering home run to right field after a two-out walk by Freddy Galvis in the fifth inning, and Mountcastle’s sixth home run of the year scored three in the seventh and gave the Orioles a big cushion they’d need.
A doubleheader Saturday left the Orioles without a starter on full rest Wednesday, so they brought right-hander Matt Harvey back on three days rest with the expectation that he’d only pitch a few innings. His contribution was an encouraging one after a rocky start, and only a solo home run by Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers in the second inning blemished the outing.
Rookie Tyler Wells picked up the next three innings and allowed just one hit and no runs, and Shawn Armstrong’s scoreless seventh came before a two-run eighth inning, cutting the Orioles’ lead to 6-3. Paul Fry, their new closer, walked two to put the tying run on in the eighth but ended it with a pop-up. He pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the win.
