Minnesota pitcher Bailey Ober recovered from Bryce Harper’s early two-run home run in the first inning and settled in for seven strong innings, leading the Twins to a 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Ober (9-5) threw just 83 pitches and retired 17 of the last 18 batters he faced, inducing a double-play grounder to erase the only baserunner in that stretch. The 6-foot-9 right-hander allowed four hits and one walk, improving his record to 4-1 with a 2.23 ERA in his last six starts.
“He looked impressive,” commented Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “You could argue to keep him in the game longer the way he was pitching.”
Cole Sands pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the Twins, who held the Phillies to just one hit in their final 27 at-bats.
Willi Castro contributed with an RBI single in the third inning, while Manny Margot delivered a crucial two-run single in the fifth off Phillies starter Ranger Suárez (10-5). Suárez suffered his fourth consecutive loss and failed to complete six innings for the third time in his last four starts.
“Ranger Suárez is a fantastic pitcher,” Margot said. “He has a great mix of pitches.”
Suárez, one of eight Phillies All-Stars, did not pitch in the All-Star Game due to back spasms. His ERA has risen from 1.36 to 2.87 over the past two months, and he was limited to 85 pitches in Monday’s game.
“Much improved,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson noted. “His velocity was better tonight compared to his recent outings. He executed his breaking ball well when behind in the count and located it effectively on his strikeout pitches.”
Carlos Santana added an RBI double in the seventh inning, and Max Kepler’s RBI single sparked a three-run eighth inning for the Twins (55-44), snapping a three-game losing streak. The win brought them within four games of first place in the AL Central, the closest they’ve been since May 17.
