MINNEAPOLIS — Ramón Urías drove in the automatic runner for Baltimore with a first-pitch double off Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran in the 10th inning, and the Orioles outlasted the Twins 3-1 on Friday night.
All-Star closer Félix Bautista (4-1) pitched two hitless innings with three strikeouts for the Orioles, after Aaron Hicks added a sacrifice fly that drove in Urías.
Cedric Mullins made a leaping catch to thwart a three-run homer by Byron Buxton in the fourth inning and drove in the game's first run in the sixth for the Orioles, who scored twice in the eighth inning Sunday against Duran (2-4) in Baltimore.
Duran, pitching on four days of rest, struck out the first two batters in the ninth and finished the perfect inning with a break when his toss to first base after a slow roller in front of the mound hit Colton Cowser in the back. Cowser was ruled out for interference.
Orioles starter Cole Irvin took a shutout into the seventh inning, when Kyle Farmer hit a one-out double and immediately scored to tie the game on Willi Castro's single against reliever Mike Baumann.
Irvin started with three perfect innings until a bloop single by Carlos Correa started the fourth. Donovan Solano followed with another single, before Buxton's big swing nearly gave the Twins a 3-0 lead.
Mullins raced back and snagged the ball about a foot over the center field wall, causing an incredulous Buxton to rip his helmet off with both hands and slam it on the dirt. He swung his arms out wide in a “How could you do that to me?” fashion, flashing a smile as Mullins made the same motion back to him.
on Sunday, Mullins helped Irvin by robbing Buxton of an extra-base hit with a running catch at the wall. Irvin gave up one run in five innings in that game, a 2-1 win by the Orioles that averted a sweep.
The Orioles (52-35) have the third-best record in baseball and moved within three games of AL East leader Tampa Bay, the closest they've been since May 30. The Rays have lost six straight.
The Twins (45-44) had their AL Central lead over Cleveland trimmed to a half-game.
OBER AND OUTS
Ober beat the Orioles 1-0 in his last turn with just two hits allowed in seven scoreless innings and no walks in Baltimore, triggering an impeccable run through the rotation for a Twins staff that leads the major leagues in ERA. The five starters combined for three earned runs and 17 hits allowed in 35 innings with 45 strikeouts and five walks, capped by a four-hit shutout on Wednesday from Pablo López.
The Orioles had 13 runs by the fourth inning in New York on Thursday of a 14-1 win over the Yankees, but Ober again kept them quiet. The 6-foot-9 right-hander retired the leadoff hitter in every inning until the sixth, when Anthony Santander doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mullins.
Ober completed at least six innings for the fourth consecutive time, allowing four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.
HIT LIKE HAYS
Orioles left fielder Austin Hays was added to the starting lineup for the American League All-Star team as an injury replacement, having already been tabbed as a reserve. Hays was out for the fifth straight game because of a bruised left hip, but that didn't damper the excitement around his appointment. Manager Brandon Hyde sent Hays an early-morning text message as soon as he was informed, urging him to call.
“That was a really great feeling to tell him that awesome news,” Hyde said.
Hays was available off the bench and on track to return to action on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Tyler Wells (6-4, 3.19 ERA) starts on Saturday afternoon. He was drafted by the Twins in the 15th round in 2016 and selected by the Orioles in the Rule 5 major league draft in 2020.
Twins: RHP Sonny Gray (4-2, 2.50 ERA), the team's lone All-Star selection, takes the mound for the middle game of the series.
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