Orioles Hitless Over 8 Innings, Fall To Twins 6-2
BALTIMORE (AP) — Minnesota Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson held the Baltimore Orioles hitless over six innings before being replaced by Ryan Pressly, who kept the no-hitter intact until the eighth in a 6-2 victory Saturday night.
Gibson, Pressly and Gabriel Moya combined on a three-hitter to help Minnesota bounce back from an 11-inning, season-opening loss to Baltimore on Thursday.
Gibson (1-0) struck out six and walked five. Although the 30-year-old did not allow a runner past first base, manager Paul Molitor figured Gibson had enough after throwing 102 pitches in an early-season game on a cool night.
The final batter Gibson faced was Trey Mancini, who hit a sinking liner to left field that a diving Eddie Rosario got his glove under. The ball popped into the air, and Rosario snagged it with his bare hand.
Pressly worked a perfect seventh and got two outs in the eighth before Jonathan Schoop grounded a single up the middle.
That ended Minnesota's shot at the sixth no-hitter in franchise history, the first since Francisco Liriano beat the White Sox in 2011.
Moya gave up a double to Danny Valencia and a homer to Tim Beckham in the ninth.
Offensively, Minnesota hit three solo home runs off Andrew Cashner (0-1) in his Orioles debut.
Miguel Sano connected in the first inning, Jason Castro went deep leading off the third and Max Kepler made it 4-0 in the fourth with a drive to right field.
Signed as a free agent after spending the 2017 season with Texas, Cashner surrendered five runs, four earned, and six hits in five innings.
The right-hander allowed only 15 home runs in 166 2/3 innings last year and was second in the AL in fewest homers permitted over nine innings (0.89).
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: RHP Phil Hughes (left oblique strain) pitched four innings Saturday in a Triple-A spring training game. If he responds well, Hughes will likely pitch for Class A Fort Myers on April 5, manager Paul Molitor said.
Orioles: LHP Zach Britton ran Friday for the first time since undergoing surgery on his right Achilles tendon in December. "I feel good, feel normal," he said Saturday. ... DH Mark Trumbo (quad strain) will take batting practice in Florida on Monday and could appear in a spring training game on April 6. ... RHP Alex Cobb threw four innings Friday in extended spring training. His debut with the Orioles will be around mid-April.
UP NEXT
Twins: Jose Berrios, who went 14-8 for Minnesota last year, starts in Sunday's series finale.
Orioles: Notorious slow-starter Kevin Gausman starts for Baltimore. The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.88 ERA in 15 career appearances before May.
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