BALTIMORE – Guess the Twins were right. Their confidence wasn't shaken after a rough three days in New York.
They shook off getting swept in the Bronx big-time on Thursday night, when they routed the Orioles 15-2 to open a four-game series at Oriole Park in Camden Yards. The Twins waited out a rain delay of more than 2½ hours to set a season high in runs while banging out 18 hits.
"Over the course of the night, top to bottom, we had a good offensive night," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Rookie righthander Tyler Duffey took a shutout into the eighth inning to win his second consecutive start.
The Twins erupted for five runs off Baltimore righthander Miguel Gonzalez (9-9) in the second inning. Eddie Rosario dropped a bunt down the third-base line — in front of the slick-fielding Manny Machado — to load the bases with nobody out.
"The conditions could not have been any better," Molitor said. "You got a wet field, grass that hugs the foul line. It's one of those places where if you have an opportunity, you should keep it in the back of your mind."
Torii Hunter fell behind 0-2 but ended up drawing a bases-loaded walk; Kurt Suzuki hit a two-run single; and Eduardo Escobar and Brian Dozier added run-scoring hits as the Twins took a 5-0 lead.
Miguel Sano crushed a two-run homer to left in the fifth to put the Twins ahead 7-0. He jumped on Gonzalez's first pitch for his third two-run homer in the first four games of this 10-game road trip. Sano has 10 home runs in 41 games since being called up in July.