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Today’s lineups:
MIN: Max Kepler RF, Jorge Polanco SS, Luis Arraez 2B, Miguel Sano 1B, Eddie Rosario LF, Nelson Cruz DH, Marwin Gonzalez 3B, Alex Avila C, Byron Buxton CF, Devin Smeltzer P
TOR: Cavan Biggio 2B, Lourdes Gurriel Jr LF, Vladimir Guerrero Jr 3B, Bo Bichetter SS, Teoscar Hernandez CF, Danny Jansen C, Billy McKinney RF, Travis Shaw 1B, Derek Fisher DH, Michael Wacha P
Devin Smeltzer got three outs in a row in the first inning. Too bad they didn’t come until the Blue Jays scored four runs. Biggio singled, Gurriel walked, and Guerrero hit a double, which scored a run and put two on. Bichette showed off his pop, and hit a three-run home run to put Toronto up by four. Then those three outs finally showed up.
The Twins batters finally got going in the bottom of the second. The bottom half of the lineup came through to support Smeltzer. Cruz and Gonzalez started the inning with back-to-back jacks to cut the Blue Jays lead in half. Avila hit a single, and after a Buxton strikeout, went to third on Kepler’s single with one out. Another strikeout from Polanco, and Arraez brought Avila home with the third single of the inning.
Smeltzer gave up one more run before leaving the game in the third. Gurriel hit a double, and then Bichette picked up another RBI, singling over third base. Matt Wisler got the final two outs of the third, and the Twins bullpen took things the rest the way.
Luis Arraez chipped away at Wacha a bit more in the fifth inning. He led off the inning with a single. Eddie Rosario’s single put him on third, and a big flyout from Nelson Cruz brought him home.
In the sixth inning, Teoscar Hernandez took the run back from Caleb Thielbar, the only run that the Twins bullpen gave up today. This was a massive solo home run, it went 472 feet. The final Twins’ run was also a solo home run, and the only run given up by the bullpen today. In our case, it was Miguel Sano at the plate, and old friend Fernando Romero on the mound.
Notes
- Ken Giles suffered a minor injury today, and will be day-to-day through the rest of this series.
- Romero is doing alright for the Blue Jays. His ERA is 5.87 in 23 innings.
- After this game, the Blue Jays are at 53-41, three games behind the Yankees, and holding the first wild card spot.
STUDS:
Miguel Sano: 2-5, HR, RBI
Marwin Gonzalez: 1-3, HR, RBI, BB
Nelson Cruz: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, Sac Fly
Alex Avila: 2-3, BB
DUDS:
Jorge Polanco: 1-5, 2K
Byron Buxton: 1-4, 2K
Tomorrow: Toronto comes to town, first pitch at 7:10 pm