– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
BALTIMORE — It may have officially been game number 83 of the Minnesota Twins’ 2023 season, but, to every player on the roster, the early-summer evening in muggy Baltimore acted as Minnesota’s second Opening Day — and a convincing “Opening Day” win soon followed.
Joey Gallo, Max Kepler, and Byron Buxton each hit home runs in the first four innings, while Pablo López allowed just one run in seven innings as the Twins defeated the Orioles 8-1 inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday night. Minnesota scored in each of the first four frames as it came into the game losing four of its last five, with tonight’s win snapping a three-game losing streak.
Those three defeats before tonight came in Atlanta, getting swept by the National League leaders while scoring just three runs combined in the series and being shutout in the series finale. After the game, a players-only meeting took place while manager Rocco Baldelli did not hold back with his criticisms of the players, particularly with their hitting approach, during the team’s latest cold stretch.
The immediate impact of the team-wide catharsis was evident in the first inning, as the Twins made Orioles starter Dean Kremer throw 27 pitches, with Royce Lewis’ two-out RBI single producing the first run of the game. Though the Twins missed out on the big inning, with Kepler striking out to end the inning with runners on second and third, the tone was set for a patient, unselfish approach at the plate that tapped into the potential of what the lineup could look like in the second half of the season.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Friday evening’s contest, with all photos taken by DC-area photographer Rodney Pierce. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 37 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
