The first pitch set the tone for Minnesota.

Jake Cave robbed Tim Beckham of a home run [url=http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/customized]Customized Denver Broncos Jerseys[/url] , helping Lance Lynn bounce back from two poor starts, and Max Kepler homered to lead the Twins to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Beckham drilled Lynn’s first offering to the deepest part of Target Field, but Cave raced to the wall, leapt, reached back and caught the ball while fully extended to deny a home run.

”It’s up there with actually hitting a home run, it’s cool to be able to help the pitcher like that and take one back,” Cave said.

Beckham tipped his cap to the Twins’ rookie.

”That’s pretty cool for him to do that. I’m sure he’s made a lot of great plays against guys in his career, so he knows what it feels like to do something like that,” Cave said.

It was the second straight day Cave made a fully extended catch at the wall. He robbed Chris Davis in right-center Thursday.

”I definitely didn’t want to start the game by giving up a solo home run. One heck of a play and I was able to get into a rhythm after that,” Lynn said.

Lynn (6-7) allowed six hits and one earned run in six innings as he continued his up-and-down season. He allowed 11 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings over his previous two starts, including seven in 1 2/3 innings last Sunday at Wrigley Field. His ERA was 1.74 ERA in six starts from May 22 to June 20, but 7.47 in his first eight starts of the season.

”You’re gonna have your good ones and your bad ones,” he said.

Up 6-0, Lynn needed 27 pitches to get through the sixth when Baltimore scored its first run, including 10 against Jonathan Schoop [url=http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/customized]Customized Detroit Lions Jerseys[/url] , an at-bat that ended in a double play.

”I threw a couple pitches that I thought he’d do that earlier,” Lynn said. ”He covers a lot of the plate both sides and he finally hit a ball and we were able to turn it.”

Caleb Joseph had a season-high three hits for the Orioles, losers of four straight and 11 of 12.

In his first start since going on the disabled list June 23 with a left ankle sprain, Baltimore’s Dylan Bundy (6-8) allowed nine hits and five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. It is his second-shortest start of the season. The right-hander allowed seven runs without recording an out May 8 vs. Kansas City.

Brian Dozier and Jorge Polanco had RBI singles in the first inning as Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead, increasing Bundy’s opening frame ERA to 9.00. It is 3.13 in innings two through nine.

Kepler made it 5-0 in the fourth with a two-run homer to right field.

”If anything, I was trying to miss low and it ended up right down the middle and he was able to hit it out. That was pretty much how the whole game was, throwing stuff right down the middle,” Bundy said.

BALANCED ATTACK

Polanco, Joe Mauer, Eddie Rosario and Mitch Garver each had two hits for the Twins, who have won two straight after a six-game skid.

FRY IS FINE

In his third career game, Baltimore reliever Paul Fry struck out four and did not allow a hit in 2 1-3 innings. The left-hander was called up June 29.

”Pitching looks easy when you locate a fastball and spin a ball for a strike anytime in the count, but it’s not that easy. He was in a really good place today and you could tell,” said manager Buck Showalter.

TRAINERS ROOM

Orioles: To make room for Bundy, RHP David Hess was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. . INF Luis Sardi锟絘s (left ankle sprain) was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. He cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Norfolk.

Twins: Manager Paul Molitor said there is a ”really good chance” INF Ehire Adrianza [url=http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/customized]Customized Green Bay Packers Jerseys[/url] , out since July 2 with a left hamstring strain, will be ready to play when he can come off the DL next Thursday. . INF/OF Taylor Motter was activated off the 7-day DL (concussion-like symptoms) and optioned to Double-A Chattanooga.

UP NEXT

A pair of right-handers are scheduled to start Saturday with Baltimore’s Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.05) facing Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson (2-6, 3.58). Gausman has allowed two or fewer runs in four straight starts. Gibson has allowed more than three earned runs just once in his last nine turns.

—


PHOENIX — For the first time this season, the Arizona Diamondbacks had their projected big four in the lineup Thursday, although that did not keep the San Diego Padres from winning the first contest of a four-game series.

Right fielder Steven Souza Jr. was activated from the disabled list after missing the majority of the season with a pectoral injury suffered the final week of spring training, at last joining first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, center fielder A.J. Pollock and third baseman Jake Lamb in the same lineup.

Lamb and Pollock also were on the disabled list at times in the early season, keeping the foursome apart.

“When we traded for Steven, there was a lot of excitement, hoping we could get all of these guys on one lineup card,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It means that we are getting healthy, and it means the good things are on the way.”

Although Pollock had two of Arizona’s 11 hits and lefty-hitting Lamb had an RBI single off San Diego left-hander Eric Lauer, the Padres took a 6-3 victory at Chase Field.

Arizona right-hander Zack Godley is scheduled to face Padres lefty Joey Lucchesi in the second game of the series Friday.

Without their full complement, the Diamondbacks have not produced at expected levels this season [url=http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-van-riemsdyk-jersey]http://www.officialmapleleafsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-james-van-riemsdyk-jersey[/url] , although the installation of a humidor as well as health could play into it.

They have 381 runs, two more than the league average, but are hitting a league-low .230 and have a .699 OPS, 12th in the league and ahead of only the Mets, Miami and San Diego. The Diamondbacks worked through a 2-15 stretch in May to regain the NL West lead in June, although they fell into a virtual tie with the Dodgers with their loss Thursday.

“We’ve been two different teams in two different months,” Lovullo said. “It’s been crazy. But now that everybody is healthy, we are hoping that there is a little lineup continuity and we start to do the things that we were projected as a team that we could do.

“We’re winning games. We’re doing OK in that regard. But I feel like offensively with this group of guys on the field at one time, we could do some pretty special things. I know that these guys are anxious to get going and play together.”

The return to full health will give Arizona a chance to assess its full roster as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.

“Projecting the things we want to offensively with this group, it will give us a snapshot of what we really are,” Lovullo said. “I know we already are a good team. If guys perform, and we are talking about some good players coming back, if guys perform up to their abilities, we are going to be even better.”

San Diego, meanwhile [url=http://www.officialknightsproshop.com/authentic-adidas-tomas-tatar-jersey]Tomas Tatar Jersey[/url] , found hitting support from Wil Myers and Carlos Asuaje in winning Thursday, and oft-rumored trade chip Brad Hand struck out the side in the ninth inning after a leadoff infield single for his 24th save.

Nos. 2-3 hitters Asuaje and Myers had two hits and a triple apiece, and Myers drove in two runs. Asuaje, who also walked, scored twice. Asuaje has hit safely in all four games back after spending the previous six weeks in the minors because of the Padres’ glut of middle infielders.

“He’s had good at-bats,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “He’s put himself in position to earn more playing time. Whatever he makes of that opportunity is up to him.”

Godley is 9-6 with a 5.07 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. He had a four-game winning streak broken in his last appearance, when he gave up seven runs and nine hits in a 9-6 loss to San Francisco on Sunday.

He beat the Padres in his only start against them this season, giving up two runs in a 6-2 victory on April 21. Golden has pitched well at home, going 4-2 with a 4.14 ERA in seven starts. He is 2-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 career appearances (seven starts) against the Padres.

Rookie Lucchesi, 4-3 with a 3.26 ERA, is to make his fourth start since returning from the disabled list with a right hip strain that kept him out for a month. He gave up four runs and five hits in his lone appearance against Arizona, a 4-2 loss April 22.

Included in Lucchesi’s repertoire is a combination changeup/curveball that has been dubbed a “churve.” He grips the pitch like a changeup but the pitch has the opposite break, down and in to a right-handed hitter instead of the true changeup movement of down and away. He also throws a true curve, which he has used more than the “churve” since his return.