Bonser's 1st Win Since June Lifts Twins

BALTIMORE (AP) _ Boof Bonser pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to earn his first win since June 10, and the Minnesota Twins took advantage of shoddy fielding by the Baltimore Orioles in a 5-2 victory

Thursday, August 23rd 2007, 9:35 pm

By: News On 6


BALTIMORE (AP) _ Boof Bonser pitched seven innings of three-hit ball to earn his first win since June 10, and the Minnesota Twins took advantage of shoddy fielding by the Baltimore Orioles in a 5-2 victory Thursday night.

One night after permitting a major league-record 39 runs in a doubleheader loss to Texas _ including an AL-record 30 in the first game _ the Orioles found a different way to lose.

Steve Trachsel (6-8) took a three-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the Twins capitalized on three walks and two errors to score four runs.

Nick Punto beat out a bunt single and went to second on a groundout before Jason Bartlett walked, the fourth ball a wild pitch that enabled Punto to go to third. Joe Mauer hit an RBI groundout off Jamie Walker, and Torii Hunter received an intentional walk.

A throwing error by catcher Ramon Hernandez allowed the runners to advance to second and third. Justin Morneau walked to load the bases for Michael Cuddyer, who hit a grounder to shortstop that Miguel Tejada fumbled for an error while Bartlett scored the go-ahead run.

Jason Kubel followed with a two-run double off Chad Bradford, the only ball the Twins hit out of the infield during the decisive inning.

Bartlett added an RBI triple in the ninth.

Bonser (6-10) allowed one run, struck out two and walked three. He was 0-8 in his previous 12 starts.

Matt Guerrier pitched two innings to earn his first save. He allowed a solo homer to Tejada in the ninth.

Aubrey Huff homered for the Orioles, who have lost three straight _ all since the team announced that manager Dave Trembley would return next season.

Orioles first baseman Kevin Millar set a club record by reaching via a hit, walk or hit by pitch in his 50th consecutive game. Millar, who broke the mark set by Ken Singleton in 1977, began his streak on June 20.

Huff put the Orioles ahead 1-0 in the second inning with his 12th home run, a drive to center on a 3-2 pitch. Despite that mistake, Bonser retired 12 of his first 13 batters until walking Millar to open the fifth. The right-hander then got three straight outs.

Trachsel was even more impressive. Hunter hit a leadoff double in the second but failed to advance, and Bartlett's fourth-inning single was the Twins' only other hit through the first six innings.

In the Baltimore sixth, Corey Patterson singled with two outs and stole second. Nick Markakis drew a walk, then was thrown out on the back end of a double steal.

Minnesota got multiple runners on base for the first time in the seventh.

Notes: Orioles introduced top draft pick Matt Wieters to the crowd after the fourth inning. Wieters, the fifth overall pick, signed last week. ... Morneau endured a 28th consecutive game without hitting a homer, the longest drought of his career. ... Baltimore's Melvin Mora hit into his 18th double play, taking over the team lead from Tejada.
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