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Bonser, Mauer power Twins past Orioles

Jun 5, 2008 - 5:27 AM By Anthony Maggio PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Boof Bonser looked at the throng of reporters gathered at his locker and questioned why anyone would want to talk to him.

Reminded that he was the winning pitcher as the Minnesota Twins picked up their 14th come-from-behind victory this season with a 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday at the Metrodome, Bonser couldn't pass up the chance for a joke - even at his own expense.

"That's a first," Bonser said.

In a way it was, as Bonser picked up his first win out of the bullpen in his first relief appearance this season following his demotion from the starting rotation. Bonser (3-6) struck out four while allowing just a hit and a walk in 2 2/3 innings, allowing Minnesota's offense to come back against Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera (5-2).

Jason Kubel drove in a pair of runs, including the game-tying tally with his sixth-inning triple, and scored the go-ahead run the next at-bat on Delmon Young's sacrifice fly to hand Cabrera his first loss since May 3. Joe Mauer added an insurance home run off Jamie Walker with two outs in the seventh inning, while his two-run sacrifice fly off Cabrera in the fifth inning got Minnesota back within a run.

"We've seen him where it seems like he's the best righthander in baseball and we've seen him some other times where he has some troubles throwing it over (the plate)," Mauer said. "Hopefully, you get him more days when he's struggling a bit. But he's got great stuff. We were able to wait for our pitch and put a good swing on it."

Cabrera was 3-0 in his previous five starts, but matched a season-high by surrendering six earned runs and eight hits with three strikeouts and two hit batters. He had not allowed more than four earned runs in a start since allowing six to Tampa Bay in his first start of the season on April 2.

"He just never got in sync," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "He didn't look comfortable. I thought maybe after the second inning he would find his groove somewhat. It just didn't happen for him."

Baltimore had the chance to blow out the Twins early as Cabrera's counterpart, Glen Perkins, struggled from the beginning.

The lefthander permitted five hits - including back-to-back home runs from Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar - in the first inning, but stranded two runners and picked off Nick Markakis before the homers to only give up two runs. He gave up another run in the second inning on Brian Roberts' RBI single, but again stranded two Orioles.

Perkins surrendered two more on back-to-back RBI hits from Roberts and Markakis in the fourth inning and his night ended shortly thereafter. He lasted just four innings for the second straight outing, allowing five runs - four earned - on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Perkins has a 10.13 ERA in his last two starts against the Orioles and Yankees, allowing 19 hits and four walks in the two games combined. His overall ERA has jumped from 2.77 after four starts to 4.50.

"I didn't have my best stuff tonight, it was disappointing," Perkins said. "I'm just trying to find it right now. Trying to find what I had in my first four starts."

Still, the Twins put up two runs in the second inning on a Kubel RBI single and a wild pitch from Cabrera, and it took Mora's diving grab of Michael Cuddyer's two-out, bases-loaded line drive just to preserve a 3-2 lead for the Orioles after three innings.

But after Baltimore extended the lead to 5-2 through four innings, it was all Minnesota.

What appeared to be a routine deep flyout to left-center turned into an adventure when center fielder Adam Jones slipped on the warning track after making the catch, not only allowing Nick Punto to score from third, but also Carlos Gomez to score from second.

It was the first two-RBI sacrifice fly since May 8, 2001 when Alex Ochoa - playing for the Cincinnati Reds - accomplished the feat against Arizona. Kubel then got Minnesota ahead for good, and the bullpen allowed just one hit and one walk in the final five innings.

Bonser, who was 0-2 with a 9.21 ERA over his last six starts, was sent to the bullpen with Scott Baker set to make his return from the disabled list on Thursday. He looked like a different pitcher on Wednesday, picking up his first win since April 29.

"I'm always anxious to get back in there, especially when they took me out of the starting rotation; I was wondering when I was going to get in," Bonser said. "They called down and I think that's the most adrenaline I've had in the last couple of years. That was pretty interesting."

After Bonser walked Millar with two outs in the seventh inning, Dennys Reyes struck out Aubrey Huff to end the frame and strand the only baserunner in the final five innings. Matt Guerrier pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Joe Nathan pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 16th save in 17 chances as the Twins won for the third time in their last four games.

"We're going to have a stronger bullpen with (Bonser) out there right now," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "And you never know how long that's going to last."

Roberts and Markakis both had multi-hit games for Baltimore, which has lost six of its last seven road games.

Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer scored two runs and turned a key double play in the sixth inning when he made a leaping catch in right field and doubled Alex Cintron off first base to end the inning.

Minnesota has won 12 of its last 14 games against Baltimore.