Mistakes Undo Orioles In a Deflating Defeat

Twins 7, Orioles 6

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 25 -- Even in their losses recently -- and there have been plenty of them -- the Orioles have played pretty good baseball. But in Tuesday night's deflating 7-6 defeat to the Minnesota Twins before an announced 23,690 at the Metrodome, they did just enough to make sure that they wound up with the loss.

The Twins scored three times in the sixth to tie the score, and then won it in the ninth on Delmon Young's RBI single to right off Kam Mickolio, his fourth hit of the night. It was the Orioles' 27th loss in 38 games since the all-star break, and the 15th of their last 26 losses by two runs or fewer.

Mickolio got the loss and allowed his first earned run of the season, but the Orioles (51-75) were in that position only because of a handful of mistakes and one really poor pitching performance that occurred long before the game's decisive hit. Orioles reliever Brian Bass faced five Twins and did not get any of them out.

Felix Pie made two base-running gaffes and Luke Scott also made an out on the bases. Orioles' pitchers walked six batters and gave up 12 hits. Second baseman Brian Roberts couldn't make a tough play on Michael Cuddyer's liner that would have ended the ninth inning. Mickolio then walked pinch-hitter Jason Kubel before Young ripped a 3-2 fastball to right field. Nick Markakis's throw was off line and probably wouldn't have gotten Cuddyer anyway as the Twins rushed out of the dugout to celebrate their season-high fifth straight victory.

"I don't feel like we gave it away. I feel like we didn't take it," said Manager Dave Trembley, whose team is back to a season-worst 24 games under .500 and will try to avoid a three-game sweep tonight. "I think there's a difference there."

In his fifth major league start, Brian Matusz left the game after five innings and 99 pitches in position to get his third major league win. He retired seven of the final eight hitters he faced to salvage an uneven outing.

Matusz allowed three earned runs on seven hits, including Justin Morneau's tape-measure solo homer in the third, and two walks. The Orioles gave him a three-run lead in the top of the second and he gave two runs right back in the bottom of the inning. The Orioles scored one in the top of the fourth and he allowed the Twins a run in the bottom of the frame.

The 22-year-old lefty did show some mettle by holding it together and getting through five innings without his best stuff.

"I didn't think I had my best stuff today," Matusz said. "I never really got into a groove. I just never was consistent. It was a real battle today."