BC-BBA–Twins-Orioles,0429

Orioles 4, Twins 2

By DAVID GINSBURG

AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) – Miguel Tejada homered and drove in two runs to back a fine pitching performance by Sidney Ponson, and the Baltimore Orioles ended the Minnesota Twins’ five-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory Saturday night.

Ponson (5-12) won a second straight start for the first time this season. The right-hander gave up two runs, four hits and four walks in seven innings.

David Newhan drove in the tiebreaking run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly, and the Orioles’ bullpen made it stand up. B.J. Ryan struck out the side in the eighth and Jorge Julio worked a perfect ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.

That preserved a rare win for Ponson, who last won consecutive decisions in April.

Tejada doubled in a run in the third inning and hit his 19th homer in the sixth to make it 2-2. The two RBIs upped his league-leading total to 90.

Karim Garcia led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single off Joe Roa (2-2). Darnell McDonald then bunted, and Roa was given an error when his throw pulled shortstop Nick Punto off the bag at second.

After a sacrifice by Brian Roberts, Garcia scored on a close play at the plate on a fly to center by Newhan.

Tejada provided the Orioles with an insurance run in the eighth. After being hit by a pitch, he stole second and continued home when the throw from catcher Matthew LeCroy sailed into center field.

That run, like Baltimore’s tally in the seventh, was unearned.

Minnesota starter Terry Mulholland allowed two runs, four hits and two walks in six innings. The 41-year-old threw 90 pitches, 60 for strikes, in his fourth start of the season.

Although Mullholland did not factor in the decision, the Orioles improved to 12-21 in games in which the opposition starts a left-hander.

The Twins broke on top in the second when Torii Hunter reached on a fielder’s choice, took second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a single by LeCroy.

Minnesota made it 2-0 in the third. Shannon Stewart drew a leadoff walk, reached third with one out and scored on a grounder by Justin Morneau.

Notes: Twins SS Cristian Guzman was scratched from the lineup and missed a fifth straight game with back spasms. … The team wore throwback uniforms of 1975, when Baltimore had bright orange jerseys and the Twins wore powder blue shirts and pants on the road. … Despite the win, the Orioles still own an AL-worst 21 victories at home.

AP-ES-07-24-04 2037EDT