Gary Sanchez hit a two-run home run, Luis Arraez had four hits and the visiting Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-6 Sunday afternoon.
Trevor Larnach added a solo home run for Minnesota in the rubber match of the three-game series.
Santiago Espinal hit a three-run home run and George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Matt Chapman added solo shots for Toronto.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-4) allowed five runs (three earned), nine hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings.
Minnesota left-hander Devin Smeltzer allowed two runs, four hits and two walks in four innings.
The Twins scored three runs in the first inning. Arraez and Sanchez singled. Right fielder Teoscar Hernandez dropped Jorge Polanco’s fly ball for a two-base error that scored a run. Gio Urshela’s groundout scored a run. Jose Miranda hit an RBI single.
Springer led off the bottom of the first with his 11th homer of the season. Smeltzer overcame two walks with the help of a superb double play started by shortstop Jermaine Palacios.
Nick Gordon led off the second with a triple to right. Palacios hit an RBI single. Arraez singled and Polanco had an RBI single.
David Phelps replaced Gausman and pitched a clean 1 1/3 innings.
Kirk hit his fifth homer of the season with two out in the fourth.
Jharel Cotton (2-1) replaced Smeltzer and pitched a perfect fifth.
Larnach hit his fourth home run of the season against Adam Cimber in the seventh.
Chapman hit his seventh homer of the season against Joe Smith in the bottom of the inning.
Arraez singled with two out in the eighth against Andrew Vasquez and Sanchez followed with his seventh homer of the season against Jeremy Beasley.
Jhoan Duran pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth despite taking Springer’s sharp comebacker off his leg.
Tyler Duffy allowed a one-out walk, a single and Espinal’s fourth homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth. Jovani Moran took over with a runner at second and two out and allowed Springer’s single before getting the final out on a grounder to third for his first save.
–Field Level Media
