Willi Castro belted two home runs and had three RBIs as the Minnesota Twins held on to post a 9-7 win over the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Wallner added a solo homer and three RBIs to highlight his first career four-hit game and help the Twins gain a split of the first two contests of the three-game series. Edouard Julien contributed a solo homer and two doubles for Minnesota.
Bo Bichette hit a solo homer and recorded four RBIs for Toronto. Daulton Varsho had a two-run shot and Cavan Biggio added a solo homer for the Blue Jays.
Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez (3-3) picked up the win after allowing four runs, five hits and three walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (5-4) took the loss after permitting seven runs, nine hits and two walks with five strikeouts in four-plus innings.
Bichette hit his 11th home run of the season — and second of the series — with one out in the first inning.
Minnesota scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Joey Gallo led off with a walk, took third on Julien’s double and scored on Alex Kirilloff’s groundout to shortstop. Castro was drilled by a pitch and stole second before Wallner hit a two-run single.
Kyle Farmer led off the second inning with a single and scored on Julien’s two-out double.
With one out in the top of the third, Tyler Heineman walked and George Springer singled before Bichette drove them in with a triple.
Biggio was summoned to pinch hit in the third after center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (back injury) was removed. Biggio hit his fourth homer of the season with two out in the fourth inning.
Kirilloff started the bottom of the fifth with a single and Castro homered on a drive to center that bounced off Varsho’s glove and off the top of the wall. Wallner followed his first of the season that Varsho again just missed.
Castro hit his fourth homer of the season in the seventh against Adam Cimber.
Jhoan Duran pitched around a single in the top of the eighth.
Julien hit his fourth homer of the season in the home eighth against Yimi Garcia.
Jorge Lopez allowed a single and Varsho’s eighth homer in the ninth inning. After a hit batter and a single, Brock Stewart took over and allowed Bichette’s one-out RBI single before earning his first save of the season.
–Field Level Media
