ORIOLES POSTGAME NOTES Oriole Park at Camden Yards  333 West Camden Street  Baltimore, MD 21201

Saturday  March 31, 2018  Game #2  Home Game #2 Minnesota Twins (1-1) vs. (1-1)

R H E LOB WP: Gibson (1-0) TIME: 2:50 TWINS 6 9 0 5 LP: CASHNER (0-1) ORIOLES 2 3 1 8 SV: None

GETTING STARTED: Tonight’s first pitch was at 7:08…Game-time temperature was 55 degrees.

TONIGHT’S ATTENDANCE was 17,763…The two-date season total is 63,232...Average attendance is 31,616.

ORIOLES NOTES

VS. MINNESOTA: The Orioles were defeated by the Twins 6-2 in game two of the three-game series…The Orioles lead the Twins in the all-time series, 332- 288, with the Orioles leading 176-136 at home.

STARTERS LINE: RHP was dealt his first loss of the season after allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts…Allowed three home runs for the third time in his career (5/30/13 vs. SEA and 4/8/15 at LAD); career-high four allowed on 7/8/16 at LAD…Has now lost each of his last four season debuts…Has lost both career starts against Minnesota…Threw 79 pitches, 53 strikes.

MLB DEBUTS: LHP Nestor Cortes, Jr. made his Major League debut, taking over in the sixth inning and tossing 2.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts…Struck out Byron Buxton in the sixth inning for his first career strikeout…RHP Pedro Araujo made his Major League debut, taking over in the eighth inning and tossing 1.0 scoreless inning with one strikeout…Struck out Byron Buxton in the eighth inning for his first career strikeout.

ON THE BOARD: 3B Tim Beckham hit his first of the season, a two-run homer in the ninth inning…His 14th career home run against a left- handed pitcher; is a career .260 (87-for-335) against lefties.

WALK THIS WAY: SS drew three walks, tying a career-high done three previous times (7/17/15 at DET, 5/26/16 at HOU, 4/30/17 at NYY).

ENDING THE NO-NO: 2B Jonathan Schoop recorded the Orioles first hit of the game with his single in the eighth inning; it was his first hit of the 2018 season.

TWINS NOTES

VS. BALTIMORE: The Twins defeated the Orioles 6-2 to even the series at a game apiece…Improve to 7-3 in their last 10 games against Baltimore and 15-8 in their last 23, dating back to September of 2014…Have outscored the Orioles 55-43 in the last 10 games.

HITLESS: RHP Kyle Gibson earned the win after not allowing a hit in 6.0 innings of work, walking five and striking out six…It is the first time in his career not allowing a hit in a start; previous low was two hits four different times…Was his 17th career start working 6.0-or-more shutout innings; improves to 14-0 in these starts and the Twins improve to 15-2…Has won seven-straight decisions, dating back to August 22, 2017 at Chicago-AL…Is now 3-2 in season debuts…His five walks tied a career-high, done four previous times…Threw 102 pitches, 56 strikes.

OWNING BALTIMORE: RF Max Kepler doubled in his first at-bat and homered in his second for his first extra-base hits of the season and his first multi- hit game of the season…Has hit safely in all nine career games against Baltimore, batting .429 (15-for-35) with five doubles, a , three home runs, and 12 RBI…Has recorded five multi-hit games in his nine games against the Orioles…His nine game hit-streak against the Orioles is tied for the second-longest to start a player’s career since 2016 (Mookie Betts BOS-9, George Springer HOU-10)…Reached base safely in three plate appearances (, home run, walk) for the first time since August 11 at Detroit last season.

PROVIDING THE POWER: 3B Miguel Sanó hit his first home run of the season, a solo homer in the first inning; it was his second earliest homer in a season for his career (homered on Opening Day last year in Kansas City)…It was his second career home run off of Andrew Cashner in five at bats (2-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI)…Is a career .259 (21-for-81) hitter with seven home runs in 21 games against Baltimore; his seven career home runs are tied with Seattle for the most against a non-divisional opponent and tied for the third most against any opponent (Chicago-AL 9 and Kansas City 8).

BULLDOZING: 2B Brian Dozier has hit safely in five-straight games at Oriole Park, hitting .348 (8-for-23) during this span…Recorded his first multi-hit game of the season; had a team-high 48 multi-hit games last season…Doubled in the seventh for his first hit against a left-handed pitcher this season (1-for-1); hit .331 (48-for-145) against lefties last year.

EVERYDAY JOE: 1B doubled for his first extra-base hit of the season…Recorded his first multi-hit game of the season; had 37 multi-hit games in 2017…Has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games against Baltimore…Is a career .341 (95-for-279) in 73 games against the Orioles…Is 11 hits away from 2,000 for his career; would become the third Twin to collect 2,000+ hits (Carew 2,085 and Puckett 2,304).

BACKSTOP POP: C connected on his first home run of the season, a solo homer leading off the third inning…His earliest home run in a season for his career (second game); previous earliest was third game in 2010.