Baltimore Bombers? Mullins' walk
BALTIMORE (AP) — The first Baltimore batter homered, and so did the final one.
The latter was a drive by Cedric Mullins that ended the game — and extended an impressive streak of power by the Orioles.
Mullins hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-2. Gunnar Henderson also went deep leading off the first, and Anthony Santander hit a tying solo shot in the seventh. Baltimore has hit at least three home runs in five straight games.
“I think as a whole, we still have a pretty balanced lineup in terms of being able to steal bags, put pressure on guys,” said Mullins, who was a 30-30 player in 2021. “The home run total’s going up. I think that’s just a matter of how our offseasons were and how we prepared for the season this spring.”
After winning 101 games and the AL East title last year, the Orioles look even better offensively — and their major league-leading total of 30 home runs is a big reason why. Only twice before had Baltimore hit three homers in five straight games — in 1987 and 1996, two of the most homer-happy seasons of the 20th Century for baseball in general.