Simon Pitches Orioles Over Twins, 8-1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Alfredo Simon allowed one run and three hits in a career-high eight innings, and Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Reynolds both had three hits as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins 8-1 on Tuesday night.
Nolan Reimold added a three-run homer for Baltimore. Simon (4-6) won for the first time in four starts. He struck out a career-high eight.
Minnesota starter Brian Duensing (8-13) was out after just four batters in the third inning as his struggles continued. He gave up seven runs and nine hits while losing his fifth straight game.
Danny Valencia had a solo home run for the Twins, who have lost five of six games on the current homestand.
Tuesday's performance will help Simon stake a claim to a permanent spot in the Orioles' rotation.
The right-hander has shuffled between the rotation and bullpen during his four seasons with Baltimore. Simon saved 17 games for the Orioles last season and was in the bullpen when he joined the team in May.
Manager Buck Showalter put him into the starting rotation on July 9 and the decision has been met with inconsistency. Tuesday was more reminiscent of Simon's first five starts than his last three.
Simon allowed three runs or less in his first five starts, compiling a 3.26 ERA. However, he had allowed 13 runs in 15 2-3 innings in his last three turns.
He didn't have any trouble against the punchless Twins.
Simon retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced and didn't give up a hit after Luke Hughes' double in the third inning.
After going 63 games without holding an opponent to one run or less, Baltimore's pitching has held Minnesota to two runs in the series with Simon's domination following Zach Britton's 4-1 win in the series opener on Monday.
Duensing was never the same after trying to field a ball hit by Guerrero with his bare hand. Duensing knocked the ball down, but tried to throw to first to record the out and threw wildly straight into ground allowing Guerrero to go to second.
The next pitch was a wild pitch with Guerrero advancing to third. Matt Wieters then doubled and Reynolds singled on hard-hit balls. Following a pop-up, Reimold connected for his eighth homer of the season.
Reynolds hit a two-run triple the following inning, and Duensing was done after Robert Andino's singled scored Reynolds.
Duensing equaled his shortest start of the season and is winless in August. He's allowed 25 earned runs in 26 innings in August and has given up at least eight hits in each of his five starts.
Baltimore has won the first two games of the four-game series, a significant accomplishment in itself. The Orioles are winless in their last 15 series, losing 14 of them.
NOTES: Baltimore CF Adam Jones left the game in the second inning with an illness. Matt Angle, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Norfolk replaced him. ... Reynolds snapped out of a miserable slump which had seen him hit .163 (8 for 49) with 21 strikeouts over his past 13 games. ... Showalter said it was likely Brian Matusz and Zach Britton would start in Saturday's doubleheader against the New York Yankees. Jo-Jo Reyes will start Thursday's game at Minnesota. Baltimore is currently using a six-man rotation with Jeremy Guthrie and Tommy Hunter, joining Simon, Reyes, Matusz and Britton. ... RHP Lester Oliveros made his debut for the Twins, relieving Duensing. Oliveros, acquired from Detroit in the trade that sent OF Delmon Young to the Tigers, pitched two innings and gave up one run and two hits. ... Guthrie (5-16) will start Wednesday against the Twins. The right-hander has lost two straight decisions, and has allowed at least four runs in his last three starts. He is 2-8 with a 4.17 ERA in 11 road starts this season. ... Kevin Slowey (0-1) is scheduled to start for Minnesota. Slowey has made one full start since being recalled on Aug. 12, taking an 8-1 loss against New York when he allowed six runs in 5 2-3 innings. He started the Aug. 14 game at Cleveland but it was postponed by rain after two innings.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
