Bailey Ober has developed a put-away changeup, and his high release point makes his fastball faster. But maybe best of all, he knows how to pitch with very little run support.
That came in handy on Saturday, when after a one-day run-scoring jubilee, the Twins' hitting problems returned. Ober took it in stride, giving up only two singles over seven innings and pitched the Twins to a 1-0 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.
"That was a 'wow' performance by Bailey," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of the righthander, who has started both of the Twins' 1-0 victories this season. "It's the best I've ever seen him throw, and he's thrown so many good games for us. He was so locked in."
Good thing, too, because the Twins followed up their eight-run outburst in the series opener with another frustrating exercise in left-on-base. The Twins collected seven hits, but six of them were singles and none of them advanced a runner to third base.
The lone exception: A high, hanging full-count slider in the fourth inning by Baltimore righthander Kyle Bradish. Joey Gallo got the barrel of his bat on it and launched it to the back of the seats in right-center field, his team-leading 15th home run and fourth of this weeklong road trip.
Just as Gallo, who until this trip had endured a dismal homer-free month, predicted before departing Target Field. Remember?
"I wasn't that confident, but I've got to say I am," Gallo admitted. "You're going to go through patches where you don't hit home runs, and then you're going to hit four or five in a stretch." And getting hot again? "It helps me sleep at night," he said with a laugh.
But that was it for the Twins, who went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position in a tight, well-played game that featured a handful of attention-getting defensive plays.
