Back-to-back home runs was a theme Wednesday afternoon at Target Field: Each team had them, but when the dust settled the Twins pulled out a 5-3 victory to complete their three game sweep of the Orioles.
It’s the first time the Twins have swept the Orioles since August 2007.
Tommy Milone (5-1) gave the Twins another solid start. He held the Orioles to one run on five hits, while striking out five in seven innings to pick up the victory.
Glen Perkins closed out the game with his 28th save in as many chances.
28 consecutive saves for @glenperkins breaks the #MNTwins record. He overtakes Joe Nathan’s record of 27 straight saves, from 2004.
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 8, 2015
Glen Perkins, Proven Closer is 28-for-28 converting saves with a 1.24 ERA and 35/5 K/BB ratio. He also has a beard and drives a Porsche now.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) July 8, 2015
Ubaldo Jimenez kept the Twins quiet for the first five innings, but after throwing 110 pitches he was lifted before the sixth.
The Twins then went to work in the sixth with Brian Dozier hitting a two-run home run to open up a 2-1 lead. For Dozier, who is in the running to be voted into the final American League All-Star roster spot, it was his 18th home run of the season.
Joe Mauer followed with a home run of his own giving the Twins back-to-back homers for the first time this season.
https://twitter.com/ParkerHageman/status/618865711415459840
Holding a two-run lead, the Twins struck for two more in the seventh, thanks to a two-run single from newly called-up catcher Eric Fryer.
Dozier had another big day, he was 2-for-5 with the home run. He also stole a pair of bases. Fryer was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in his return to the Twins, and Aaron Hicks was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Baltimore fought back with a back-to-back home runs of their own in the eighth, courtesy of Manny Machado and Chris Davis. It was the 19th homer of the season for each of them.
Davis led the Orioles at the plate at 3-for-4 with the home run, but it wasn’t enough.
The Twins open a four-game series with the Tigers on Thursday night. Mike Pelfrey (5-5) is on the mound for Minnesota against David Price for the Tigers.
