Six-run inning enough for O’s to down Twins, extend streak

Adam Frazier had a two-run single to highlight a six-run second inning as the Baltimore Orioles won their fourth consecutive game, 6-2 over the host Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon.

Tyler Wells (7-4) picked up the win, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings for the Orioles, who closed to within 2 1/2 games of first-place Tampa Bay in the American League's East. He walked two and struck out four.

Donovan Solano had three doubles and an RBI, Edouard Julien went 2-for-4 with a double and a run, and Michael A. Taylor had two hits, including a double for Minnesota, which dropped back to the .500 mark. It marked the second time in his career that Solano had three doubles in a game.

Sonny Gray (4-3), who hadn't allowed more than three runs in a start all season, suffered the loss, allowing six runs on six hits over six innings. The All-Star Game-bound Gray, who last picked up a victory on April 30 against Kansas City, walked three and struck out five.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the first when Julien lined a double off the wall in right-center, advanced to third on a groundout by Byron Buxton and then scored on a wild pitch.

Baltimore then had seven straight batters reach base to open a 10-batter second inning while building a 6-1 lead.

After Gray issued back-to-back, bases-loaded walks to Colton Cowser and Ramon Urias to put the Orioles in front, Frazier followed with a bloop single to left to increase the lead to 4-1. Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander also had RBI singles before Gray got out of the 36-pitch inning by getting Ryan O'Hearn to line out into a double play.

Minnesota cut the lead to 6-2 in the sixth when Buxton singled and then came around to score on Solano's one-out double into the gap into right-center. Wells then rebounded to strike out Max Kepler and Ryan Jeffers to end the threat.

Baltimore finished with just six hits.