Orioles Hit 3 HRs In 8-2 Rout Of Twins

BALTIMORE (AP) — Tommy Hunter took a four-hitter into the eighth inning, Nick Markakis went 3 for 4 with a homer and the Baltimore Orioles cruised past the Minnesota Twins 8-2 Saturday night.

Adam Jones and Matt Wieters also homered for the Orioles, who will seek to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday. Baltimore has won six straight over Minnesota by a combined score of 36-8.

After beating the Twins 4-2 on opening day, the Orioles went up 6-0 against Francisco Liriano (0-1) after four innings and coasted to the finish. Markakis homered in a second straight game, Ronny Paulino got four hits and scored twice in his Baltimore debut and Robert Andino contributed two hits and two RBIs.

Hunter (1-0) was in control until the eighth, when the Twins used an error and two singles to load the bases with no outs. Pedro Strop then yielded run-scoring grounders to Jamey Carroll and Joe Mauer.

Hunter gave up six hits and no earned runs in seven-plus innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out three.

It was a solid follow-up to the opening day performance by Baltimore starter Jake Arrieta, who pitched seven scoreless innings.

Liriano allowed six runs and eight hits in four innings. He struck out the side in the first, but things quickly went sour after that.

Jones hit an opposite-field drive leading off the second and Baltimore added two runs in third. Paulino singled and scored when Josh Willingham misplayed Andino's single to left. Nolan Reimold followed with an infield hit and Andino came home on a double-play grounder.

The Orioles made it 6-0 in the third. A walk to Mark Reynolds and a double by Paulino preceded a two-run single by Andino and an RBI single by Reimold.

Markakis and Wieters hit solo shots off Jared Burton in the seventh.

NOTES: Twins RHP Liam Hendriks was scratched from Sunday's start because of food poisoning. RHP Anthony Swarzak will start in his place. ... Orioles LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (elbow) will pitch in extended spring training on April 9 and 14. If all goes well, Wada will pitch in a minor league game on the 19th in his bid to return from the DL. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire started Ben Revere in RF because Ryan Doumit, who started in RF on opening day, will be behind the plate Sunday. Joe Mauer will either DH, play 1B or just get Sunday off. ... Paulino had five hits in his debut with the Mets last year.

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