Baltimore, MD – Justin Morneau smacked a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Minnesota Twins to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Morneau, who finished with three hits and two runs scored, singled home the game-winner after Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis had a ground ball slip through his legs, allowing Aaron Hicks to reach first and keep the inning alive.
"To this point we have been in all these games, and we have had opportunities," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The guys are really competing. We've been in all these games with some really good teams, and that says a lot about what is going on in the clubhouse.
Jim Johnson (0-1), who also issued a two-out walk to Josh Willingham, was dealt with the loss, his first since July 27 of last season.
Chris Parmelee added a two-run homer in a critical four-run third in the victory.
Minnesota reliever Josh Roenicke (1-0) pitched three strong innings of one-hit ball before Glenn Perkins spun a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Nick Markakis went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in defeat, while Adam Jones had two hits and three RBI.
Davis, who was chasing MLB history after homering for a fourth consecutive game to start the season, had one hit and an RBI.
Baltimore starter Chris Tillman struggled, allowing five runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings. The remaining Orioles relievers, however, gave up just two hits, but the final one was costly.
The Orioles struck early in the first with two runs as Jones' swinging bunt scored Manny Machado and then Markakis came around from second base after Minnesota starter Vance Worley's throw to first sailed past Morneau.
Worley gave up 10 hits and five runs -- four earned -- over five innings. He gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings in his Minnesota debut, a 4-2 defeat to Detroit on Monday.
The Twins got on the board in the second as Brian Dozier hit a sacrifice fly to center scoring Morneau. The visitors took the lead in the third as Ryan Doumit plated home a run with a single, followed by Trevor Plouffe's sacrifice fly and then Parmelee had the green light on a 3-0 count which he took over the right field wall to make it 5-3.
Jones tied the game with a single up the middle in the fifth scoring Nate McLouth and Machado.
"The defense, bullpen and everything is going to come together. We gave ourselves a chance to win. That is all you can really ask for," Davis said.
Game Notes
Davis has 17 RBI through the first five games of the season. He became just the fourth player in MLB history to hit a homer in the first four games to start the season with a game-changing grand slam in Friday's home opening win over the Twins ... Tillman went 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 starts last season.
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