Trevor Rogers pitched seven shutout innings and the Baltimore Orioles broke through on offense late to beat the visiting Minnesota Twins 2-1 and give Craig Albernaz a victory in his big-league managerial debut Thursday in the season opener for both teams.
Rogers limited the Twins to three hits and four walks while striking out five.
Tyler Wells and Ryan Helsley, who appeared in a game for an American League team for the first time in his career, each pitched an inning of relief to complete the combined five-hitter. Helsley struck out three, though he gave up a two-out single and a wild pitch to put the potential tying run in scoring position.
Blaze Alexander drove in a run in his first game with the Orioles. Adley Rutschman had two hits, including a double.
The Twins came up with only three singles until the eighth inning and dropped Derek Shelton’s first game as the team’s manager.
Minnesota wasted a strong start from Joe Ryan, who allowed one hit and two walks while striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings.
The Orioles broke through in the seventh off relievers Kody Funderburk and Justin Topa, who were each charged with one run.
Samuel Basallo and Tyler O’Neill led off with back-to-back singles followed by Colton Cowser’s sacrifice fly. After Coby Mayo’s flyout, Alexander produced a two-out, run-scoring single up the middle.
O’Neill’s streak of six straight Opening Days with a home run, the longest in MLB history, came to an end. He was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.
The Twins scored in the eighth off Wells when Byron Buxton knocked a one-out triple and scored on Luke Keaschall’s sacrifice fly.
The Twins had a runner reach second base with no outs in the second and fourth innings but Rogers didn’t let them score. Rogers had never faced Minnesota until Thursday.
The Orioles didn’t have a hit until Rutschman’s single with two outs in the fourth. Rutschman added an eighth-inning double to become the only player in the game with multiple hits.
Albernaz was hired in the offseason from the Cleveland Guardians’ coaching staff.
