MINNEAPOLIS — It was a wild Wednesday night at the Metrodome, filled with blown saves, broken bats and big hits. Geronimo Gil finally won it after 4 1/2 hours, hitting a homer with two outs in the 14th inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles over the Minnesota Twins 6-5.

        “He picked a good time to break out of a three-month slump,” Orioles manager Mike Hargrove said.

        Gil connected off Tony Fiore (9-3) for his ninth homer, and first since June 18.

        “That was a long night with a lot of tense baseball,” said Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire, who saw his team lose for the first time in nine extra-inning games at home.

        Gil's bat also played a role in the ninth inning, but in a very different way.

        After Tony Batista and Jay Gibbons hit back-to-back doubles off closer Eddie Guardado to tie it at 4, a flyball and walk put runners at first and third. Gil followed with a soft, broken-bat grounder to third base.

        Corey Koskie, who was playing in, had to duck under a flying piece of wood and could only get a forceout at second as the go-ahead run scored.

        “No question he turns that double play if he doesn't have to get out of the way of that bat,” Gardenhire said. “With a piece of wood flying at his head, I don't blame him at all.”

        It was Guardado's fifth blown save in 39 chances. But Koskie helped tie it again in the bottom half with a broken bat of his own.

        With one out, Jacque Jones reached on second baseman Jerry Hairston's two-base throwing error. He advanced to third on Cristian Guzman's flyout to center and scored when Koskie singled off Jorge Julio, shattering his bat on the hit.

        “If Gil doesn't break his bat, Koskie probably has a double play,” Hargrove said. “If Koskie doesn't break his bat, we win 5-4.”

        Rick Bauer (6-4) pitched four innings of scoreless relief, retiring Torii Hunter on a grounder with a runner at third to end it.

        “The team kept its spirits up, so it was my job to keep us in the game until we could win it,” Bauer said.

        On the last play, Hunter's shattered bat flew toward third baseman Batista.

        “When that last ball was hit, my only fear was Tony was going to fall down,” Hargrove said.

        Melvin Mora singled, doubled and tripled for the Orioles, who improved to 8-2 in extra-inning games. Mora had three chances to hit a homer for the cycle. He walked in the eighth, and flied out in the 10th and 13th.

        Jones had three hits and scored three runs for the Twins, who still have a 13-game lead over the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

        Minnesota's Brad Radke pitched well for the third straight start but remained winless since coming off the disabled list Aug. 3. He allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.

        “I felt good,” Radke said. “But you don't know what to expect when you play until midnight.”

        Both teams scored a run in the first before Minnesota took a 3-1 lead in the second on Luis Rivas' RBI triple and Jones' run-scoring single.

        Mora hit an RBI single in the third, but the Twins got a two-out RBI double from David Ortiz in the fifth to regain the two-run lead.

        Batista hit an RBI single in the sixth to bring the Orioles to 4-3.

        First baseman Doug Mientkiewicz starred on defense for Minnesota. He ranged into right field to make an over-the-shoulder catch in the third, laid flat on his stomach to catch Rivas' errant throw and complete a double play in the fifth and saved Koskie's wide throw to end the eighth.

        Jones went 3-for-5 with an RBI before leaving in the top of the 10th with a mild left hamstring strain.
        Notes: Before the start of the ninth inning, Hargrove had the umpires check Guardado's pants because of a large dirt spot. “I don't believe in gamesmanship, but that spot was too large,” Hargrove said. “I hated to do it.” ... Minnesota optioned RHP Kevin Frederick to Triple-A Edmonton and activated RHP Mike Jackson from the 15-day disabled list. ... Hunter stole his team-leading 19th base. He had only 23 in 389 games before this season. ... Rivas extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Guzman extended his to 12 with a single in the 14th inning. ... Julio has six blown saves in 30 chances.

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