Lee's go-ahead double helps Twins to series sweep of Orioles
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brooks Lee had a tiebreaking two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to propel the Minnesota Twins to a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep with their fifth straight victory.
Lee's double came off reliever Gregory Soto, who entered after Yennier Cano (0-2) walked Harrison Bader leading off and Byron Buxton with one out. Soto struck out Trevor Larnach before Lee doubled to center. Ty France followed with an RBI single for a three-run lead.
Buxton went 0 for 2 after homering in three straight games, but he walked twice, scored twice, stole a base and threw a runner out at home.
Emmanuel Rivera and Ramón Laureano had RBI doubles in back-to-back innings off Twins starter Bailey Ober for a 2-1 lead in the third.
Buxton threw out Rivera, who doubled and was trying to score on Gunnar Henderson's single in the sixth.
The Twins tied it in the bottom half on a leadoff homer by Larnach — his fifth. Kremer has surrendered eight of Baltimore's MLB-high 55 homers.
Ober allowed two runs — one earned — on eight hits in five innings. Griffin Jax (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jhoan Duran earned his sixth save.
Kremer went seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts for the Orioles, who have lost five straight and 9 of 11.
Minnesota's Royce Lewis, who returned from a hamstring injury to make his season debut on Tuesday, went 0 for 3 and is in a 0-for-30 slump since last Sept. 24.
Orioles catcher Maverick Handley singled for his first career hit.
Key moment
Baltimore was 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position against Ober.
Key stat
Twins pitchers entered with the fifth-best ERA in the AL (3.48) and fourth-most strikeouts (327). The Orioles were last in both at 5.50 and 247.
Up next
The Twins will start RHP Chris Paddack Friday to open a three-game series against the Giants. The Orioles end a six-game road trip with three against the Angels beginning Friday.
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