Victory Eclipsed: Twins Achieve Their Tenth Consecutive Win, Vanquishing Baltimore 8-6 in a Doubleheader Sweep
Apparently, the Minnesota Twins ended up sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in their season series, but it didn't happen right after their doubleheader on Wednesday. On this fateful day, the Twins out-smacked the Orioles in two games, securing a 6-3 victory in the opener and an exhilarating 8-6 win in the second game. This victory streak continued, taking their winning streak to an impressive 10 games.
Catching up to the excitement of the opener, the Twins were down 3-0, but they didn't let that get them down. They fought back and clinched the win, a key moment happening when Willi Castro reached base against Yennier Cano and Kody Clemens blasted a three-run homer to take the lead. Kody Funderburk got the win, and Cole Sands sealed the deal with a perfect ninth inning for his first save.
In the second game, things were a bit more nail-biting. The Twins were trailing by a run until Castro came through with a single, stole second base, and advanced to third on a balk. Royce Lewis walked, and Clemens, batting at a mere .179, took the opportunity to send a drive to right field, giving the Twins the lead.
The Orioles scored six runs in the third inning of the doubleheader, thanks to a grand slam by Cedric Mullins and a solo shot by Heston Kjerstad. However, despite their initial power, they managed no further runs.
Trevor Larnach hit a two-run homer for the Twins in the second inning, putting them ahead 4-0 before the Orioles' big inning. Unfortunately, Minnesota's outfielder, Harrison Bader, had to leave the game due to left groin tightness, and first baseman Ty France didn't play after leaving the opener with a foot issue.
A pivotal moment: despite Lewis' poor performance, batting .23 on the season, he managed to reach base against Cano, setting the stage for Clemens' epic home run.
Statistically speaking, the Orioles scored nine runs in the third inning of both games on Wednesday, but failed to score any in the other 16 innings.
Looking forward, Tomoyuki Sugano takes the mound for the Orioles against Chris Paddack in Thursday's series finale. The Twins have the chance to close the book on the season series against Baltimore by sweeping all three games, just as they did last week in Minnesota.
References:\1. "Twins sweep Orioles." AP News. May 16, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/mlb-minnesota-twins-baltimore-orioles-b74260f2a5c0ebcc4991faf68d02db98\2. "Minnesota Twins continue win streak with doubleheader sweep of Baltimore Orioles." Star Tribune. May 14, 2025. https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-twins-continue-win-streak-with-doubleheader-sweep-of-baltimore-orioles/600171874/\3. "On this day in Twins history: May 16, 2025." Sooner Twins. May 16, 2025. https://soonertwins.com/2025/05/16/on-this-day-in-twins-history-may-16-2025/
The Twins managed to secure a sweep against the Baltimore Orioles in their season series, with their victories coming in Toronto, as their 10-game winning streak continued.
Kody Clemens' three-run homer in the opener, followed by a key stolen base and single by Willi Castro in the second game, were pivotal moments in the Twins' consecutive wins against the Orioles.
