Matt Wallner hit a three-run homer in a four-run ninth inning and the visiting Minnesota Twins defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 Tuesday night.
Wallner’s third homer of the series came against Jeff Hoffman (8-5), who also allowed Mickey Gasper’s first career homer to lead off the inning. Hoffman allowed a single and hit a batter to set up Wallner’s blast.
Gasper had three hits and Luke Keaschall had a two-run homer to help the Twins square the three-game series.
George Springer had two home runs and four hits for the Blue Jays.
Toronto scored twice against Bailey Ober in the first. Springer singled when his hard grounder to shortstop went between Brooks Lee’s legs. He took third on Nathan Lukes’ double and scored on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sacrifice fly to center field. Bo Bichette extended his hit streak to 11 games with an infield single and Alejandro Kirk added an RBI single.
Springer homered to left center on a 3-2 fastball in the second.
Ober retired seven consecutive batters before Springer concluded a 10-pitch at-bat with a mammoth homer to left center on a 3-2 fastball to lead off the fifth.
Lee led off the sixth with a single and Keaschall lined a first-pitch sinker from Chris Bassitt to left-center for a homer.
Bassitt allowed two runs, four hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
Ober allowed four runs, 10 hits and no walks with three strikeouts over five innings.
Former Twin Louis Varland got the final out of the sixth, then allowed Gasper’s single and walked Austin Martin to open the seventh. Brendon Little took over and allowed pinch hitter Ryan Jeffers’s single to right to load the bases. A run scored when Lee lined into a double play to right with Martin doubled off second base.
Little hit Wallner with a pitch in the eighth and walked Edouard Julien. Kirk threw out Wallner, who tried to take third on a pitch that got away from the catcher. After a strikeout, Seranthony Dominguez replaced Little to end the inning with a strikeout.
Minnesota’s Michael Tonkin (2-0) allowed a single while getting the final two outs of the eighth.
Justin Topa allowed Daulton Varsho’s RBI double in the ninth but earned his fourth save.
–Field Level Media
