BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles are victorious once again on Opening Day, defeating the Minnesota Twins 2-1.
Trevor Rogers stole the spotlight for Baltimore, tossing seven shutout innings while tallying five strikeouts.
The game remained a defensive battle until the Orioles broke through in the seventh inning, with Colton Cowser and Blaze Alexander each accounting for a run.
It began with Cowser hitting a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Samuel Basallo to score and Tyler O'Neill to get to second base.
O'Neill scored shortly after, when Alexander singled to center field.
Newly acquired additions Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward struggled in their debuts, combining to go 0-for-7 with just one walk between them.
Minnesota scored in the 8th inning to cut the lead to one.
The Twins put the tying run in scoring position in the top of the ninth, but newly-acquired closer Ryan Helsley shut the door with three strikeouts to seal the victory for Baltimore.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 4:05 p.m.
