MINNEAPOLIS -- Phil Hughes didnt come to Minnesota to be a saviour. He just wanted to throw strikes and help his new team win some games. On Sunday, he gave the Twins more proof they made a wise investment. Hughes won his third start in a row, Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki hit two-run doubles and the Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2. "It starts with the starting pitcher and he gave us a great opportunity against a very potent lineup," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who was especially pleased with Hughes control. "You put guys on base, you miss a play and youll wind up killing yourself against those guys." Brought in as a free agent to help cure some of the Twins starting pitching woes, Hughes (3-1) again pitched like the ace the team hoped hed be. Hughes gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, walking none and striking out three. He became the first Twins pitcher to win three consecutive starts since Sam Deduno won three straight in July 2013. "I said in the off-season when they signed him I thought he was a really good sign," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He gives you a lot of confidence. (He can) go up and go away and let those guys who can really run the ball down run it down. He was effective. Hes added the cutter and a lot more." Hughes, who left the Yankees in the off-season to join the Twins, gave up four earned runs in each of his first three starts this season. He has given up a total of six earned runs and just one walk in 19 1-3 innings over his last three outings. The focus was on control the weekend after Twins pitchers issued 22 walks -- including 12 by their starters -- as the Dodgers swept three games at Target Field earlier in the week. Against the Orioles, the Twins walked just two batters in three games and took two of three in the series. "I always take pride in throwing strikes, making guys earn their way on base and not giving any free passes," Hughes said. "If were going to make mistakes in the zone and were going to get beat on aggressive pitches, so be it. But we dont want to let them on for free." After giving up a single to Nick Markakis to start the game, Hughes retired the next 14 batters. Nelson Cruz broke up Hughes shutout bid with two outs in the sixth, hitting a two-run shot for his ninth homer of the season. Glen Perkins pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save in eight chances this year. The Twins played most of the day without first baseman Joe Mauer, who left in the top of the third inning with lower-back spasms. Gardenhire said that Mauer underwent treatment throughout the game and said he thinks he could play on Monday. The Twins scored twice in the third, helped by the hustle of the Twins most slump-ridden hitter. Eduardo Escobar led off with a single off Miguel Gonzalez (1-3) and Pedro Florimon, who entered the game hitting .121, followed with a routine ground ball to second base. Running hard down the line, Florimon barely beat shortstop J.J. Hardys double-play relay to first base. Brian Dozier then singled and one out later, Plouffe lined a double into the left-field corner that scored both runners. Gonzalez walked the bases full with two outs, then walked Kurt Suzuki to force home a run. Reliever Troy Patton bailed him out of the jam by retiring Sam Fuld. The Twins tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh against reliever Ryan Webb. Chris Colabello hit a one-out double, Jason Kubel walked and Suzuki hit a double to left that scored both runners. Kubel slid home just ahead of catcher Matt Wieters tag, a call that was confirmed via an instant-replay challenge. NOTES: Plouffe leads the majors with 14 doubles. ... Minnesota wrapped up an eight-game homestand with a 3-5 record. 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In the meantime, theres Game 5 on Sunday when post-season ace Madison Bumgarner starts for the Giants against struggling James Shields. Nike Air Max 90 Herre. Louis Cardinals open the season on top of the TSN.TORONTO - Despite seeing less than nine minutes of ice time Saturday, Toronto fourth-liner Richard Panik was just an assist short of a Gordie Howe hat trick.Panik notched the winner with a second-period highlight-reel goal and then pounded away at Detroit defenceman Brendan Smith in the dying minutes of the Leafs 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.Goalie Jonathan Bernier made 27 saves as the Leafs recorded back-to-back victories over the Wings. Toronto won 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday in Detroit in a game that saw the Leafs outshot 42-19. On Saturday, Toronto outshot Detroit 41-28.Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said the Leafs showed a far better work ethic than in Detroit.We were more energetic, he said.That included Panik, whose goal coming off the bench gave Toronto a 2-1 lead at 17:50 of the second period. Defenceman Korbinian Holzer found Panik all alone with a long pass after a Detroit turnover in the Toronto end and the 23-year-old Slovak beat Petr Mrazek between the legs with a gorgeous breakaway move.Im just trying my best every shift, said Panik. It doesnt matter if I play five minutes, Im just focusing on the next shift. Now its going in the net so Im really happy and glad about it. Hopefully it will just keep going this way.Panik now has a career-high six goals for the season, one more than he potted in 50 games last season in Tampa.In the minutes hes played, hes always been unbelievable, said Holzer. You should watch him in practice, hes got some really, really high skill. Hes got some nice moves and he showed them on the goal.He can even throw it, added Holzer, referring to the fight — Paniks first in the NHL.Carlyle said there is a big up-side to Panik.Thats the great thing about guys like Richard. You know that there is more there, said Carlyle. Because hes in this (fourth-line) situation right now doesnt mean hes going to stay there. At any given time in the game you can feel comfortable, that you can move that player up if things arent going the way you like higher in our lineup.Hes an interchangeable part and hes a dangerous player.James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Rielly and Nazem Kadri, with an empty-netter at 16:46 of the third period, also scored for Toronto before a crowd of 19,063 at the Air Canada Centre.Thats a pretty good team we beat so I think were very happy with it, said Rielly.Bernier, who made his 10th start in 11 games, called it the Leafs best game of the season.Niklas Kronwall scored for Detroit, which lost despite scoring first, dominating the faceoff circle by a 42-17 margin and getting a fine performance from backup goalie Mrazek.They were a little stronger than us over 60 minutes, said Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg. There were too many times when we had the puckk under control then they have the puck and its in our net.dddddddddddd Weve got to be more poised and take care of the puck a little bit better.Toronto has little time to get ready for the next challenge — the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in a rare 5 p.m. ET start Sunday. The Kings arrived early in Toronto and had the luxury of an advance practice while the Leafs played a game.Carlyle said the Leafs view of the weekend was they were playing six periods.Toronto (17-9-3) has now won four straight and is 8-1-1 since a 9-2 home loss to Nashville on Nov. 18. During that time they have outscored their opposition 41-23.Carlyle points to that Nashville drubbing as a turning point.Thats changed our group ... They made a conscious effort that they were going to change things from that point on, he said.Detroit (17-7-7) has lost three straight, a streak that includes shootout defeats to the Leafs and the visiting Florida Panthers (3-2 on Friday in Detroit).The Leafs, who had been off since their victory Wednesday, win the season series with the Wings with a 3-1-1 record.Mrazek made his fourth start of the season — his first career outing against Toronto — as the Wings rested Jimmy Howard after playing Friday. Mrazek, a 22-year-old former Ottawa 67 playing his 15th NHL game, is filling in for the injured Jonas Gustavsson.James Reimer had been expected to start for Toronto after excelling Wednesday in Detroit but he tweaked his groin in practice. Detroit went ahead at 15:27 of the first period on a Kronwall one-timer from the blue-line with van Riemsdyk off for holding. Kronwalls fifth of the season was helped by traffic in front of Bernier.Toronto answered on the power play at 16:27 with a Phil Kessel snap shot that went in off van Riemsdyk in front of the goal for his 12th off the season.Mrazek made a spectacular save in the second period, flat on his back after stopping a Dion Phaneuf slapshot midway through the period with the Leafs on the power play. The rebound went to Cody Franson and somehow Mrazek got a piece of his body or equipment to the shot to redirect the puck off the post and away.Toronto, who came into the game with a league-leading 40 goals in the second period, outshot Detroit 20-5 in the second period.Rielly used his speed to make it 3-1 at 1:42 of the third period, racing down the wing before beating Mrazek to the glove side for his fourth of the season.I felt good but they have the two points and we dont have anything, so thats more important than how many saves and how I played today, Mrazek said. NOTES: The Maple Leafs have six straight victories over Original Six opponents for the first time since October-December 2003.___Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter cheap jerseys? cheap jerseys?cheap nfl jerseys?Ray Ban Outlet Michael Kors Outlet Michael Kors Sale Cheap Michael Kors ' ' '