Kepler leads Twins’ past the Orioles

The Minnesota Twins appear to be at their best when they take their show on the road.

In their latest performance, the hits just kept on coming.

Max Kepler homered and drove in four runs, Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco each had a career-high four hits and the Twins roared back to beat the Baltimore Orioles 14-7 Monday night.

Minnesota trailed 5-0 in the second inning and 6-2 entering the fifth before cranking up the offence against Ubaldo Jimenez and an ineffective Baltimore bullpen.

A two-run double by Kepler helped the Twins knot the score in the fifth. Minnesota sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run sixth, and Sano added a two-run homer in the ninth.

Joe Mauer had three hits, two RBIs and scored twice for the Twins, who reached season highs in runs and hits (21).

Because the Twins were coming off a long trip halfway across the country after splitting a doubleheader with Kansas City at home on Sunday, manager Paul Molitor called it one of the team’s biggest wins of the year.

“It’s up there, and a lot of factors played into it,” Molitor said. “Playing a doubleheader, a late arrival, falling behind 50. To find your way back into the game, then winning decisively, it speaks volumes.”

With the victory, Minnesota improved its record on the road to 12-5 compared to 1113 at Target Field. This one involved a comeback against a team that came into the game with a 15-4 mark at home.

“Baseball is unpredictable,” Kepler said. “If you have a team that never stops grinding and keeps fighting, it’s bound to happen at times.”

Adam Jones hit a three-run drive in the second inning off Kyle Gibson (1-4) for Baltimore.

It was his 125th home run at Camden Yards, moving Jones out of a tie with Rafael Palmeiro for the most in the history of the 26-year-old ballpark.