Lou Montanez singled in Melvin Mora with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Minnesota Twins 5-4 Thursday night for a two-game sweep.
Mora and Aubrey Huff homered, and Gregg Zaun had three hits for Baltimore. The last time the Orioles won two straight was April 13-14 at Texas.
Joe Mauer and Delmon Young had three hits apiece for the Twins, who have lost three straight and five of six.
With the score 4-all, Mora hit a one-out single off Jose Mijares (0-1). Ty Wigginton singled with two outs before Montanez — who took a .154 batting average to the plate — lined a single to left. It was the first run against Mijares in six appearances.
Jim Johnson (2-0) worked the eighth and George Sherrill got three outs for his fifth save in seven opportunities.
Orioles rookie Brad Bergesen gave up three runs and 11 hits over six innings in his fourth big league start. The right-hander was pulled with Baltimore up 4-3, but the bullpen promptly spoiled his bid to capture his second win.
Chris Ray entered in the seventh and gave up a single to Denard Span, who scored on a single by Mauer.
Twins starter Glen Perkins yielded four runs and five hits in six innings.
Minnesota went up 1-0 in the second when Joe Crede doubled and scored on a single by Michael Cuddyer. In the bottom half, Mora ended a 2-for-24 skid with a home run and Cesar Izturis delivered an RBI single.
The Twins loaded the bases with no outs in the third before Adam Jones made a fine diving catch on a liner to center by Justin Morneau. The sacrifice fly tied the game, but Bergesen averted further damage.
Huff hit a two-out, two-run drive to right in the bottom half to make it 4-2.
Bergesen gave up two straight singles to open the sixth, then got Cuddyer to hit into a double play. Young followed with a bloop single to get Minnesota to 4-3.
Notes:@ Zaun has three multihit games in his last six starts, but is batting only .192. ... The Twins hit into two double plays and have eight GIDPs in their last five games. ... Baltimore clinched its first home series win over Minnesota in four years. ... Mauer is 38-for-98 (.388) lifetime against the Orioles.
Copyright 2009 AP News
