Twins at Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles opened with a walk-off win for the third straight season when Adam Jones homered off Fernando Rodney in the 11th inning on Thursday. The Orioles will try to carry that momentum into the weekend and clinch a series win when they host the Minnesota Twins in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Baltimore squandered a two-run lead in the ninth inning on Opening Day and wasted a terrific start from Dylan Bundy, but it was all smiles in the clubhouse after the win. "Doesn't matter how it comes," Jones told reporters, "as long as you win the game at the end of the day. It was a beautiful game. Obviously, we wanted to win it in nine, but I can't see that anybody complains about a win, no matter how late you have to go and get it." The Twins signed 41-year-old closer Fernando Rodney in the offseason, and the well-traveled reliever isn't going to let one bad pitch linger. "I know he's a free-swinging guy, but I missed my location on the pitch," Rodney told reporters. "I've seen Adam Jones for a long time since I was in Detroit, Tampa and Anaheim, and it was the first long ball off me."
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), MASN 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (2017: 12-10, 5.07 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (2017: 11-11, 3.40)
Gibson finished last season strong with wins in each of his last six decisions and posted a 3.76 ERA after the All-Star break. The 30-year-old Missouri product surrendered 16 of his career-high 24 home runs before the break. Gibson went 1-1 in two starts against the Orioles last season but was ripped for a total of 13 runs on 16 hits - three homers - and six walks in nine combined innings.
Cashner is one of two new additions to the Baltimore rotation along with Alex Cobb and, like Cobb, he wasn't signed until after the start of spring training and made just two Grapefruit League appearances. The 31-year-old Texan issued 64 walks in 166 2/3 innings for the Texas Rangers while striking out 86. Cashner, who spent the first seven seasons of his career in the National League, lost his lone start to the Twins last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles SS Manny Machado led the team with two hits on Thursday.
2. Twins LHP Zach Duke struck out four in an inning in the opener with the help of a wild pitch.
3. Baltimore RHP Brad Brach suffered a blown save.