Twins 4 - 3 Orioles
Final
  for this game

Twins hand the ball to Hernandez in Baltimore

Apr 7, 2013 - 1:47 PM

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(Sports Network) - Venezuelan-born southpaw Pedro Hernandez makes just the second start of his big-league career Sunday when the Minnesota Twins visit Camden Yards to close out a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.

Hernandez, who'll turn 24 on Friday, was signed by the San Diego Padres as a 17-year-old free agent in 2006, then dealt to the Chicago White Sox in a trade involving Carlos Quentin in December 2011.

He made his lone appearance - a start - for Chicago on July 18, 2012, at Fenway Park and was ripped for 12 hits and eight runs in four innings of a 10-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Hernandez became Minnesota property 10 days later when he was part of the trade that sent pitcher Francisco Liriano to the White Sox.

In 19 minor-league outings last season with three teams, he was 8-4 with a 3.32 earned run average in 103 innings, allowing 111 hits and striking out 65 batters.

Baltimore, meanwhile, counters with 6-foot-6 right-hander Jason Hammel, who aims to start the season with two consecutive victories.

The 30-year-old, a 10th-round pick of Tampa Bay in 2002, downed his former team in his initial start of the season, allowing three hits and three runs in six innings of a 7-4 win on April 2.

Hammel began his big-league career with the Rays in 2006 and was 7-15 with them in three seasons before going 27-30 in three years for the Colorado Rockies.

He came to Baltimore in February 2012 for Jeremy Guthrie and was 8-6 in 20 starts with a 3.43 ERA in his initial year with the Orioles.

In four career meetings with the Twins, Hammel is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA.

The Twins pulled even in the series on Saturday, as Justin Morneau smacked a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth inning to provide a 6-5 victory.

Morneau, who finished with three hits and two runs scored, singled home the game-winner after Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis had a ground ball slip through his legs, allowing Aaron Hicks to reach first and keep the inning alive.

"To this point we have been in all these games, and we have had opportunities," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "The guys are really competing. We've been in all these games with some really good teams, and that says a lot about what is going on in the clubhouse.

Jim Johnson (0-1), who also issued a two-out walk to Josh Willingham, was dealt with the loss, his first since July 27 of last season.

Minnesota reliever Josh Roenicke (1-0) pitched three strong innings of one-hit ball before Glenn Perkins spun a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Nick Markakis went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a run scored in defeat, while Adam Jones had two hits and three RBI. Davis, who was chasing MLB history after homering for a fourth consecutive game to start the season, had one hit and an RBI.

The Orioles won five of seven games with the Twins in 2012, including all three in Baltimore.






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