Orioles close 1st half with dominant sweep of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS -- Prior to the weekend series in Minnesota to finish the first half, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that the first half of the season had gone by quickly.

As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun.

Baltimore had plenty to enjoy in a first half that saw them enter the All-Star break just two games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East. The three games in Minnesota were capped by a Sunday fun day.

The Orioles had 17 hits, including six homers, and scored a season high in runs in a 15-2 win at Target Field to cap a weekend sweep against the Twins.

“Just an awesome offensive display, and what a way to end the first half,” Hyde said.

Baltimore had lost six of seven games after losing the first two of a four-game set in New York against the Yankees. The Orioles have won five games since, outscoring New York and Minnesota by a combined 44-9 margin.

The Orioles beat the Twins by a combined 24-5 score in the three games at Target Field.

“We just needed a little bit of a reset,” starter Kyle Gibson said Sunday. “We needed a couple breaks to go our way. We needed to put a couple games together and then to finish the break on a five-game winning streak, that changes everything going into the break, really, you know? You win a road trip. You split a series after losing the first two and then you come [in to face] a division leader and you win a series in a convincing fashion. I think everybody feels really good about that going into the break.”

Gibson (9-6), the former Minnesota right-hander, had one of his best outings of the season, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs on three hits. He tied a career high with 11 strikeouts.

It was the seventh straight game a Baltimore starter went at least six innings, and they’ve thrown five consecutive quality starts.

“Our starting pitching has been the key,” Hyde said. “We showed our power today. I feel like we kind of were in a power drought a little bit there for a little while, but these guys showed you how much power they have. Fun to see everybody get involved today.”

The big-inning birds were back at it again on Sunday.

Keyed by home runs from Ramón Urías and Aaron Hicks, the Orioles scored seven runs in the fifth inning. Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander hit back-to-back homers to start a six-run sixth.

Baltimore had a six-run inning on Saturday in Minnesota, and now has eight innings of at least six runs this season. In five of their past 35 innings, they’ve scored at least five runs.

“Seeing good pitches, being able to not chase, put a good swing and take our walks when we need it, and let the guy behind do the job and that’s pretty good,” Santander said of the difference this weekend after the Orioles were limited to three runs by the Twins in a three-game series in Baltimore from June 30-July 1.

All-Star starter Austin Hays, in his second game back after missing five contests with a hip contusion, also homered for the Orioles. Santander tacked on a second homer in the seventh, helping Baltimore to a total of six in a game for the first time since June 19, 2021, against Toronto.

The offense also got a boost with the return of first baseman Ryan Mountcastle after missing a month with vertigo. Mountcastle didn’t start, but he had a pinch-hit RBI single during the seven-run fifth.

Baltimore finished the first half with a 54-35 record. From 2018-21, the Orioles never finished a season with more than 54 wins.

They’ve seen an influx of youth from their top-rated farm system in rookies Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser, and also will be sending four players to the All-Star Game in Hays, Rutschman and relievers Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano.

The fun might just be beginning for Baltimore.

“Especially being here a long time, and having the success … what we have right now is really fun,” Santander said.