Twins 4, Orioles 3 (12 innings)
BALTIMORE - Minnesota took advantage of two Baltimore errors in the top of the 12th inning, the second coming when newly-inserted third baseman Jimmy Paredes booted Shane Robinson's two-out grounder, a miscue that let Eduardo Escobar score and gave the Twins a stunning 4-3 victory over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
That completed a four-game series sweep for the Twins (63-61), with three of the victories of the come-from-behind variety. Minnesota also won all seven games of the season series with the Orioles (62-61) and moved ahead of Baltimore in the tight American League wild-card race.
The errors won it for the Twins. Escobar reached when Manny Machado, just moved to shortstop, couldn't come up with his one-out grounder off left-hander Brian Matusz (1-3). Escobar hustled to second and was still there when Robinson grounded to Paredes, and he couldn't make the play as the ball bounced into short left.
That let Escobar score from second and gave left-hander Glen Perkins (2-4) the win. Perkins has been out with neck issues and wasn't even supposed to pitch, but the Twins called on him.
Starter Tommy Milone came on in the 12th and earned his first major-league save, getting a break when center fielder Byron Buxton made a leaping catch of first baseman Chris Davis' blast to start the inning.
The Orioles came within one out of winning before Minnesota first baseman Trevor Plouffe's seeing-eye single to left off closer Zach Britton tied the game at 3-3 in the ninth. Second baseman Brian Dozier, who reached on an infield single, scored on the play.
It was just Britton's third blown save this season.
That rally took a victory away from Orioles starter Kevin Gausman, who allowed just two runs on three hits in seven innings. The right-hander retired 17 in a row and 19 of the last 20 batters he faced as the Twins did not get a hit after the first inning until Dozier's single in the ninth.
Gausman's inning of trouble has been the first, and that problem continued in this game. He retired the first two batters before designated hitter Joe Mauer doubled, and Miguel Sano belted a two-run homer to right for the quick 2-0 lead.
The Orioles threatened against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey several times early but couldn't break through until second baseman Jonathan Schoop lined his two-out RBI single to right in the third. That cut the lead to 2-1 before Baltimore finally took the lead with another two-out rally in the fifth.
Designated hitter Steve Clevenger's two-out double moved center fielder Adam Jones to third - he would have scored had the ball not bounced into the stands - before Schoop ended Pelfrey's day with a two-run single that gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead that held up until the ninth.
Notes: SS J.J. Hardy was given a day off Sunday to rest his ailing left groin. The Orioles are hoping that Hardy can be back in the starting lineup for the first game of their big road trip on Monday at Kansas City. He did come in for defense in the ninth. ... The Orioles are 38-6 record when C Caleb Joseph drives in a run, and 18-2 if the knocks in two or more. ... LHP Glen Perkins (neck) felt fine after throwing a 25-pitch bullpen session before Sunday's game. Manager Paul Molitor said before the game that, if everything is good, that they'd look at being able to use their closer on Tuesday, but the Twins needed to go to him in the 11th inning of this contest, and he got the win. ... This was Twins C Chris Herrmann's 57th career start behind the plate - he's also started in right (36 games), left (17) as DH (three) and at first base (two).