MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Pablo López struck out a season-high 11 batters and Carlos Correa hit an upper-deck two-run homer during a five-run third inning as the Minnesota Twins opened a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles with a 9-1 win on Tuesday night.
Byron Buxton also hit a three-run homer in the seventh and drove in four runs for the Twins, who have won three straight.
Baltimore had just three singles in losing their third in a row.
López (3-2), who had 10 or more strikeouts for the 10th time in his career, fanned the side in the first, third and fifth innings. He struck out Dylan Carlson looking to end the fifth, the final batter he faced. The right-hander allowed one run to lower his ERA to 2.18.
Correa’s homer was just his second of the season. The veteran shortstop entered Tuesday’s game batting .216 with a .560 OPS before delivering a 458-foot blast off Orioles starter Cade Povich (1-3).
Minnesota got Royce Lewis (left hamstring strain) and Willi Castro (right oblique) back from the injured list for the game. Lewis was the designated hitter and went 0 for 4 in his season debut. Castro played left field and was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Key Moment
While Correa’s homer provided the big highlight, Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run single in the third that scored Castro and Buxton to make it 3-0 Twins.
Key Stat
Twins pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts, two shy of the team record for a nine-inning game. Every Oriole batter struck out at least once.
Up Next
The Orioles had not announced Wednesday’s starting pitcher by the conclusion of Tuesday’s game. Minnesota will send Simeon Woods Richardson (2-2, 4.03 ERA) to the mound. He gave up just two hits but walked five batters in 4 2/3 innings in his most recent start.
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This story has been updated to correct that Pablo López struck out 11 batters, not 10.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Tyler Mason, The Associated Press
