Who says we have no pitching?
Baltimore 3, Minnesota 0
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
May 9, 2005
AP - May 9, 10:23 pm EDT
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BALTIMORE (AP) -- After watching Daniel Cabrera shut down his team's potent offense, Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire was thankful for one thing: that he didn't have to step into the batter's box against the Baltimore Orioles' right-hander.
Cabrera outpitched Carlos Silva, Miguel Tejada homered and drove in two runs, and Baltimore ended the Twins' four-game winning streak with a 3-0 victory Monday night.
Cabrera (2-2) allowed three hits, had a career-high 11 strikeouts and walked two in eight innings. He permitted only two runners past first base and had at least one strikeout in every inning but the fourth.
``That's nasty stuff. I'm glad I wasn't hitting,'' Gardenhire said. ``Then, I would have been frustrated. I think our hitters were frustrated.''
Following Michael Cuddyer's single in the second, Cabrera retired 13 straight before a leadoff walk to Justin Morneau in the seventh. Torii Hunter followed with a single before Cabrera struck out Jacque Jones, Terry Tiffee and Cuddyer.
``You've got to tip your hat to the way he threw the ball tonight,'' Cuddyer said. ``It was 99 mph with an 89 mph slider, and he was throwing strikes.
Cabrera retired the side in order in the eighth, and B.J. Ryan followed with a perfect ninth to complete the three-hitter and earn his eighth save in eight chances.
Minnesota had scored 33 runs during its four-game streak and reached double-figures in hits in six straight games, but Cabrera and Ryan combined to hand the Twins their first shutout since July 11.
``I can say yes, that was my best game,'' Cabrera said. ``I felt really strong. Really strong.''
In his previous outing, Cabrera limited Toronto to one run on four hits in eight innings.
``The way he pitched last game, you expect him to come out and do the same thing,'' Tejada said, ``and he did it.''
Silva (2-1) had won six straight decisions since Aug. 13. He gave up three runs and nine hits in seven innings, but was no match for Cabrera.
``To be honest with you, the first couple innings that I saw that guy pitch, I said, `It's going to be a hard game today.' It was like nobody is going to hit that guy,'' Silva said. ``I think that I threw the ball very good, but he threw the ball better than me. There's nothing we can do.''
Silva couldn't handle Tejada, who went 3-for-3 against the right-hander. Tejada doubled in a run in the third inning and hit his 200th career homer leading off the sixth to put Baltimore ahead 3-0.
``Tejada's on everything. We threw one up and in, and he hit it down the right-field line,'' Gardenhire said. ``Then we threw one down and in, and he hit it 18,000 miles into the left-center field seats.''
Needing a triple for the cycle, Tejada popped out against Matt Guerrier in the eighth. By that time, however, Baltimore already had enough runs to ensure its 12th win in 15 games -- thanks to Cabrera.
``Oh boy, was he good tonight,'' Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said. ``He's a power pitcher, but he threw some nasty curves. He was locked in.''
Orioles right fielder Sammy Sosa sat out a fourth straight game with an abscess in his left foot. Baltimore is 3-1 without him.
The Orioles went up 2-0 in the third. Jay Gibbons hit a leadoff single and scored on a grounder by Melvin Mora, who stole second and came home on a two-out double by Tejada.
Tejada hit his team-high 10th home run of the season in the sixth, a drive that traveled an estimated 425 feet.
``It seemed like a lot farther than that,'' Mazzilli said.
Notes
Hunter returned to the lineup after missing Sunday's game with a sore groin. He went 1-for-4. ... The Twins' run of eight straight games with a homer ended. ... Orioles pitchers are 12-4 with a 2.69 ERA over the last 16 games.
I think this is the key line from the story: Orioles pitchers are 12-4 with a 2.69 ERA over the last 16 games