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GAME LOG
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Joe Mays prevented Minnesota from losing consecutive games, and put the Twins in position to win their eighth straight series.
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Mays (6-2) allowed only three hits -- all home runs -- in six innings. He gave up four runs, walked one and struck out two in a 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
"We just go out and play the game," Mays said. "We really don't look that much at the statistics."
But the statistics are impressive.
Mays joins Brad Radke (7-1) as six-game winners in the Twins rotation. Last year, Minnesota didn't have two six-game winners in its rotation until July 9.
And after splitting the first two games of their three-game series with the Orioles, the Twins will try for their eighth straight series victory for the first time since 1992.
"It was a long night, but we got through it," Twins manager Tom Kelly said.
Cristian Guzman and Denny Hocking had three hits apiece as the
Twins used a four-run seventh inning to get past the Orioles.
Mike Bordick, Chris Richard and Jerry Hairston homered for
Baltimore.
Orioles starter Jose Mercedes, winless in nine starts this year,
left after the fifth with a 4-2 lead. Reliever B.J. Ryan (2-1)
pitched a perfect sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh, when
the Twins sent nine men to the plate.
Hairston said the Orioles were eager to provide Mercedes enough
offense for his first win -- not only to end the slide but to halt
any frustration that's brewing in the right-hander's mind.
"I'd be frustrated, too," Hairston said. "But what can you do? He can't hit for himself. His job is to just try to hold the opposing team."
Guzman led off with a double and scored on Hocking's double.
Hocking advanced to third on a groundout and scored the tying run
on Corey Koskie's single through the middle of a drawn-in infield.
Doug Mientkiewicz's hit-and-run single sent Koskie to third, and
Koskie scored on Hunter's groundout for a 5-4 lead. Jacques Jones
and Luis Rivas then hit consecutive infield singles, with Rivas'
hit scoring Mientkiewicz.
Hairston was quick to point out that the Orioles were undone by
a couple of broken-bat hits and a pair of infield singles.
"We need to start doing that," he said. "Their players can
run -- they make things happen on the basepaths. I think they're the
most exciting team right now."
Torii Hunter added his fourth homer of the season for the Twins.
Mays retired the first 10 Orioles hitters before Bordick homered
down the left-field line for a 1-0 lead.
LaTroy Hawkins pitched the ninth for his 14th save.
The Twins went ahead 2-1 in the fifth. A.J. Pierzynski singled,
went to third on a single by Guzman and scored on Hocking's single
to center. Hocking scored on a groundout by Matt Lawton.
A three-run fifth restored Baltimore's lead. Richard's sixth
homer of the year, a solo blast to center tied it with one out.
After Jay Gibbons grounded out, Brook Fordyce walked and Hairston
hit a two-run homer into the left-field bleachers for a 4-2 lead.
Jeff Conine's RBI single in the eighth got Baltimore within one
run.
Hunter homered off reliever Buddy Groom with two outs in the
ninth to make it 7-5.
Game notes
Hocking made his first start of the season at designated hitter for the Twins, who have used six starting DHs this year. ...
Bordick has 11 RBI in his last 11 games. ... Mays has allowed a
club-high eight home runs. ... About 8,000 Little Leaguers paraded
around the field in a pregame ceremony. Another 11,000 youth
players get their turn Sunday.
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RECAPS
Oakland 4
Chi. White Sox 3
NY Yankees 2
Seattle 1
Detroit 10
Tampa Bay 5
Minnesota 7
Baltimore 5
Kansas City 6
Boston 2
Toronto 6
Texas 5
Cleveland 4
Anaheim 3
Los Angeles 10
NY Mets 2
Chicago Cubs 6
Arizona 2
San Francisco 6
Atlanta 3
Florida 1
Colorado 0
San Diego 20
Montreal 7
Philadelphia 3
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Pittsburgh 6
Milwaukee 1
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