Coomer's Homer Wins It For Twins

May 2, 1998 / 10:23 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Ron Coomer took care of two of the Minnesota Twins' most glaring shortcomings with one swing of his bat.

The Twins were winless in four extra-inning games and 1-7 in one-run games before Coomer homered in the 11th inning Saturday to give Minnesota an 8-7 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Coomer hit the first pitch from Doug Johns (0-1) over the center-field wall, just over the outstretched glove of Jeffrey Hammonds. It was the fifth homer of the season for Coomer, who entered in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter.

"It's definitely nice. We needed a win, no doubt," Coomer said. "We've played pretty good baseball overall and we've been in a lot of close games but we've lost them. So to win like this is good for us."

Coomer's drive was measured at 386 feet. If it was 385, it probably would have been caught.

"It was a fastball. He probably tried to get it in and left it over the plate a little bit," he said.

The Orioles trailed 7-6 in the ninth before Harold Baines hit a one-out homer off Rick Aguilera (2-2), who blew his fourth save in nine opportunities but got the win.

"Coomer obviously got the big hit, but the bullpen did a real good job," Minnesota manager Tom Kelly said. "Aggie rebounded and did the job the rest of the way."

Brent Gates broke a 1-for-36 slump with two hits and two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in a three-run seventh that gave Minnesota a 7-6 lead. He also walked and was hit by a pitch.

"Brent needed to get some hits and contribute. He's been struggling," Kelly noted.

Todd Walker had his third straight three-hit game for the Twins, who had lost four of five.

The Orioles got a homer and three RBIs from Eric Davis but lost for the 12th time in 17 games. Mike Bordick also homered and Roberto Alomar had three hits and scored three runs for Baltimore, playing in its first extra-inning game of the year.

"I'm disappointed that we scored that many runs and lost the game," said Orioles manager Ray Miller, whose depleted bullpen couldn't hold a lead in the seventh and finally lost the game in the 11th.

Things got worse afterward when Baltimore put right-handed reliever Terry Mathews on the 15-day disabled list.

"I've got to get back to having healthy right-handed pitchers in the bullpen," Miller lamented. "For me, this loss hurt more than any all year. It's not a lot of fun."

Minnesota got five hits off three pitchers in the seventh. After singles by Walker and Chris Latham chased starter Scott Erickson, Norm Charlton yielded a one-out RBI single to Coomer. Gates then put the Twins in front by lining a single to left off Sidney Ponson.

The lead held up until Baines connected against Aguilera.

Minnesota got a un in the sixth on an RBI triple by rookie Javier Valentin, but Davis doubled in a run in the bottom of the inning for a short-lived 6-4 lead.

The first three Twins all got hits to spark a three-run first. The Orioles scored in their half on successive doubles by Alomar and Surhoff.

Baltimore tied it in the third on Davis' second homer of the season, a double by Joe Carter and a throwing error by Twins starter Mike Morgan.

Bordick led off the fourth with his third homer and Davis added a sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead.

Notes: After the game, Baltimore activated staff ace Mike Mussina to take Mathews spot. Mussina, who owns the best winning percentage among active pitchers, will start Sunday. ... Cal Ripken remains the only AL starting third baseman without an error. ... It was Minnesota's first win at Camden Yards since 1996. ... Baltimore was 13-1 when leading after six innings.