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Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins, that hard work paid
off.
Jones had a pair of hits, including a two-run single in the top of
the ninth inning to break a tie game as the Orioles won 5-3 at
Target Field.
Baltimore has won three straight games and sits tied atop the
American League East with the Boston Red Sox.
Minnesota has lost six straight games and 10 of its past 11 overall.
Jones entered the game hitting .200 with one home run and nine RBIs
in the first 26 games of the season. After getting rained out on
Monday, Jones spent extra time in the hitting cages to try and get
things right.
The early returns are promising: He matched the homer total and
equaled one-third of his previous RBIs on Tuesday, getting a pair of
hits in five trips to the plate.
"He wants to be as good as he's capable of," Orioles manager Buck
Showalter said. "That's a feel-good because you know how much it
(bothers him). He's got a great way of not taking himself too
seriously but you know it's kind of been grinding on him. You know
he cares."
With the game tied at 3-3 in the ninth, Twins right-hander Kevin
Jepsen got a strikeout and a pop out in foul territory to start the
inning. But a double to left by Joey Rickard and an intentional walk
to Manny Machado put two men on for Jones, who smashed a shot toward
Twins left fielder Oswaldo Arcia.
Arcia didn't take a proper route to the ball and it landed in front
of him, caroming off Arcia's foot when his diving attempt at a catch
came up short. Both runners, who had advanced to second and third on
a wild pitch, scored on the play.
"I gotta get that third out," Jepsen said. "That's just the bottom
line."
Jones also mashed the second of back-to-back home runs off Twins
starter Jose Berrios in the fifth inning, which gave the Orioles a
3-1 lead.
"We've been playing good baseball as a team," Jones said. "As long
as we keep winning, it doesn't really matter how it goes as long as
the team wins. That's the main objective, the main goal."
Machado had three hits, including his 10th homer, and walked twice.
Darren O'Day got the win in relief of Kevin Gausman, pitching one
inning of relief.
Jepsen took the loss, dropping to 2-4 on the season. Jepsen was
charged with two runs, both earned, on three hits and a walk in an
inning of work.
Orioles closer Zach Britton worked a perfect ninth for his eighth
save.
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Trevor Plouffe had a pair of hits, including a two-run homer, and
drove in all three Twins runs.
Gausman allowed three runs on five hits and two walks, striking out
nine in a no-decision. The homer he allowed to Plouffe in the sixth
inning prevented him from a chance at a victory.
"Obviously, I was upset after the home run. Anytime you're cruising
and in your last inning, one of the worst pitches you throw gets hit
out of the park to tie the ballgame," Gausman said. "In the back of
my head, I always try to think 'Go nine innings,' but to give your
team a chance to win, a quality start is all you really need to do."
Twins right-hander Jose Berrios also got a no-decision, allowing
three runs on eight hits and a walk in five innings. Berrios fanned
six in his third career start.
Minnesota cracked the scoreboard in the first inning, using
back-to-back one-out singles to ignite the rally.
Eduardo Nunez and Brian Dozier each singled to put runners on the
corners with one out for Plouffe, whose sacrifice fly to center
scored Nunez from third.
"I was pleased we at least came out and competed a little better
than I thought we have been of late," said Twins manager Paul
Molitor. "Their guy threw the ball awfully well." Baltimore got even
in the fourth. After a one-out double by Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters
followed with a sharp single past an outstretched Joe Mauer at
first, scoring Trumbo.
Machado and Jones hit back-to-back homers two pitches apart in the
fifth as Baltimore took a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: Twins RHP Kyle Gibson threw a bullpen session Tuesday as he
recovers from a strained right throwing shoulder that has had him on
the 15-day disabled list since April 27. Gibson will throw in the
bullpen again Friday. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer hit leadoff for the
first time in his major league career. He entered the day with the
highest on-base percentage in the American League (.420). ... The
Orioles and Twins are scheduled to wrap up their three-game series
at Target Field on Wednesday. Baltimore will send RHP Tyler Wilson
(1-1, 3.04 ERA) to the bump against Minnesota RHP Phil Hughes (1-5,
5.85 ERA).
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