The Associated Press
BALTIMORE–After becoming the first team this season to win a series at Camden Yards, the Minnesota Twins wanted more.
Beating the Baltimore Orioles twice in a row simply wasn’t good enough for these upstart Twins, who entered yesterday’s series finale determined to complete a sweep.
That’s precisely what happened. Using a strong pitching performance by Jose Berrios, the AL Central leaders churned out a 4-3 victory.
Following a 14-7 win Monday night and a 2-0 victory Tuesday, the Twins ended Baltimore’s run of seven-straight series wins at home.
“You always try to win series but I think the mindset once we left [Tuesday] was, ‘Don’t settle on two,'” Minnesota’s Brian Dozier said.
“From the very first inning, it showed.”
Berrios took a two-hitter into the seventh inning while Kennys Vargas drove in two runs for the Twins, who now have won six-of-seven and are a major-league best 14-5 on the road.
In this one, Minnesota bolted out to a 4-0 lead and withstood solo homers by J.J. Hardy, Chris Davis, and Jonathan Schoop to complete its fourth sweep of the season–matching its total of all last season.
“Today, we kind of started fast and had to hang on,” noted manager Paul Molitor.
“It was a little frustrating we couldn’t take advantage and increase the cushion somewhat.”
A year ago, when the Twins finished 59-103, any kind of win would do. Not anymore.
Berrios (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven.
The 22-year-old went 3-7 as a rookie last season, but this year he’s won all three starts since being recalled from ‘AAA’ Rochester earlier this month.
“Of the four hits he gives up, three of them are homers,” Molitor noted.
“But he kept them to solo shots. He gave us a shot.”
Berrios was pulled in the seventh after homers by Davis and Schoop got Baltimore within 4-3.
Taylor Rogers struck out Davis with two on and two outs in the eighth before Brandon Kintzler got three outs his 12th save in 13 tries.
“They’re playing as well as anybody in the American League,” Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter said of the Twins.
Orioles’ starter Chris Tillman (1-1) got off to a horrid start from which Baltimore could not recover in its fourth-straight defeat.
Making his fourth-straight after returning from a shoulder injury, Tillman gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings.
Elsewhere in the AL, New York blanked Kansas City 3-0, Tampa Bay beat L.A. 5-2, Boston dumped Texas 9-4, and Detroit doubled Houston 6-3.
Over in the NL, Colorado beat Philadelphia 7-2, San Diego topped New York 6-5, Pittsburgh dumped Atlanta 12-5 (10 innings), Chicago edged San Francisco 5-4, and St. Louis downed L.A. 6-1.
