Early home runs doom Twins in loss to Orioles

[ASFN Admin]

Final​

Orioles 5, Twins 2

Starting pitcher performance​

It didn’t take long for trouble to find Bailey Ober on Tuesday night.

Ober allowed a single to the first batter of the game, Gunnar Henderson, and a two-run home run to the second batter he faced, Pete Alonso, who crushed an 88.2 mph fastball left over the heart of the zone.

An inning later, Henderson took an Ober changeup out of the park, with the second two-run home run putting the Twins down by four. And in the third, Ober served up another home run, this one to former Twins prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Ober capped his night with three scoreless innings, but the damage had been done; the Twins never led in Tuesday night’s game.

Key moment​

The two early home runs loomed large on a night where the Twins had no problem getting runners on base but were unable to bring them home. The Twins had the leadoff runner on base in all but three innings but finished the night 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 on base.

The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, but they only managed to push across one run, which scored on an Alan Roden groundout. The next batter, Kaelen Culpepper, hit a ball to Encarnacion-Strand at third, who threw home to nab Brooks Lee at the plate. Trevor Larnach grounded out to end the inning.

In the third, the Twins put the first two runners aboard and Lee brought a run home with an RBI double, but the Twins ended up leaving the bases loaded in that inning, unable to do more with their opportunity.

Up next​

Zebby Matthews (5-8, 5.23 ERA) will take the mound for the final game of the series against the Orioles, which will begin at 12:40 p.m. CT. He will be opposed by Shane Baz (4-11, 3.76 ERA).

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