George Springer hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.
Tyler Heineman also homered for the Blue Jays, who won for the fourth time in a row and for the ninth time in their past 10 games. Toronto will go for a three-game sweep on Sunday.
Matt Wallner and Kody Clemens each hit a solo home run for the Twins. The defeat secured Minnesota’s first series loss at home since April 11-13, when they dropped two of three games against the Detroit Tigers.
Blue Jays right-hander Chad Green (2-1) earned the win in relief. He tossed one scoreless inning as the first pitcher to follow starter Kevin Gausman, who gave up three runs in six innings.
Twins right-hander Griffin Jax (1-4) gave up two runs on two hits in one inning of relief. He followed starter Chris Paddack, who held Toronto to two runs on four hits in six innings.
Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman allowed one run in the ninth but escaped with his 15th save.
The Blue Jays trailed 3-2 in the eighth when Springer stepped to the plate with a runner on second base and nobody out. He worked the count to 2-2 before belting a high changeup from Jax into the third row of the bleachers in left field to give Toronto a 4-3 lead.
In the ninth, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added an RBI single to drive in Heineman and increase the Blue Jays’ lead to 5-3.
The insurance run proved to be important as Clemens ripped a solo shot to right-center field off Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth to cut the Twins’ deficit to 5-4. Hoffman held on to retire the next three batters on a strikeout and back-to-back flyouts to secure the win.
Toronto opened the scoring in the first on an RBI single by Nathan Lukes.
Heineman made it 2-0 in favor of the Blue Jays with a solo homer in the second.
The Twins evened the score at 2-all in the fourth. Ty France was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Royce Lewis followed with a bases-loaded walk to even the score.
Wallner hit a solo homer in the sixth to put the Twins on top until Springer’s decisive blast.
–Field Level Media
