Ricky Nolasco Goes Nine, But Minnesota Twins Offense Shutout

Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have been looking for Ubaldo Jiminez to have a good start in 2014. That start happened on Friday night when he faced the Minnesota Twins. The Minnesota Twins also needed a good start from Ricky Nolasco after the bullpen have been ravished during a doubleheader on Thursday. That also happened on Friday night.

Ricky Nolasco pitched a complete game, but also got the loss after giving up three runs on nine hits. In fact, the O’s didn’t even need two of those runs.

Ubaldo Jiminez pitched 7.1 innings and only gave up three hits while striking out 10 Twins batters. In total the Twins went down on strikes 13 times in the contest.

Baltimore only had two scoring plays on the evening. Matt Wieters hit an RBI double in the fourth inning to put the O’s up 1-0. Nelson Cruz hit a two-run bomb off of the facing of the third deck in left field to give the Orioles the deciding 3-0 lead.

Only four Twins players even got hits on the night: Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe, Sam Fuld and Eduardo Escobar. Joe Mauer, Chris Colabello, Jason Kubel and Dozier all struck out twice on the night. Plouffe went down on strikes three times.

The hits from Escobar and Plouffe were both doubles and the only extra-base hits for the Twins.

Both squads left six men on base.

Friday’s Twin game got over in more than half the time that Thursday’s night game did. Thursday went 5:11, Friday was a speedy 2:29.

The Twins and Baltimore face off again on Saturday at 1:10 Central.