MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 19 -- Thanks to Baltimore's bats, the celebratory champagne is still chilling in Minnesota.
Miguel Tejada homered twice and drove in five runs, rookie Daniel Cabrera threw six strong innings and the Orioles beat the Twins, 12-3, on Saturday.
Miguel Tejada is backed by teammates Melvin Mora, right, and David Newhan after three-run homer.
(Ann Heisfelt -- AP)
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After winning nine straight, the Twins have been outscored 23-5 in two games by the Orioles -- keeping the celebration of their third consecutive AL Central title on hold for a bit.
Minnesota's magic number to clinch remained at three before the second-place Chicago White Sox hosted the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.
"We're not worried that we're gagging or anything," Manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We're a pretty good baseball team."
Tejada boosted his major league-leading RBI total to 131 with a double in the third, a solo homer in the sixth and a towering three-run shot in a seven-run eighth in which Baltimore sent 12 batters to the plate against three Twins relievers.
"He's been doing it all year," Baltimore Manager Lee Mazzilli said.
Jay Gibbons went 3 for 5 with three RBI for the Orioles, who have won 10 of their last 12 road games. Cabrera (12-7) allowed just three hits, including Corey Koskie's two-run homer, while walking three and striking out three.
Minnesota starter Brad Radke (11-8) needed 79 pitches to get through three innings. He gave up five hits, three runs, two walks and struck out one.
J.D. Durbin relieved, and he needed 54 pitches to get five outs. The Orioles left nine on base in the second through the fifth, temporarily minimizing the damage, but the Twins wound up throwing 230 pitches -- allowing 18 hits and issuing seven walks.
"We were on the defensive side of the ball for a long, long time," Gardenhire said after the game that lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes.
Brian Roberts homered, doubled and drove in two runs, Melvin Mora went 3 for 6 and scored twice and every Baltimore starter reached base at least twice.
"When they're hitting the ball around, that's a pretty good lineup," Radke said. "You've got to pretty much be on top of your game to get those guys out."
Tejada's first season with the Orioles has been brilliant. With 16 games left, he's batting .306 and is 11 RBI shy of the team record Rafael Palmeiro established in 1996.
