Neither lineup is fully intact either. Byron Buxton was still a game away from returning for Minnesota, and Baltimore is still without several key pieces on the position-player side. That put more weight on the complementary bats to carry both offenses, and for a day, Minnesota's did the heavier lifting.
This one had been a genuine split so far — Baltimore took the opener, Minnesota answered, and the finale carried real stakes for a series that had gone back and forth. Baltimore had actually won its last time out against this same Twins club, so there wasn't much separating these two teams heading in.
Both injury reports read like a MASH unit. Baltimore is missing Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, Samuel Basallo and multiple bullpen arms including Felix Bautista, while Minnesota has been without Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, David Festa and Mick Abel for extended stretches. That's a lot of quality on the shelf for two clubs still fighting for playoff position in mid-August.
Minnesota's 4-run third inning was the difference, and a 2-run fifth padded the cushion before Baltimore made things interesting late with a run in the ninth. The Twins out-hit the O's 14-7 and neither side committed an error, which made the four-run frame in the third look even bigger in hindsight — Baltimore never fully recovered from falling behind early.