Taylor drives in all three runs as Twins beat Blue Jays in 10
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TORONTO (AP) — Michael A. Taylor hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th as the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 Friday night, snapping a season-high five game losing streak.
Taylor generated all the scoring for the Twins, who had totaled seven runs in their previous six games.
Royce Lewis hit an infield single off Adam Cimber (0-1) to begin the 10th, advancing automatic runner Ryan Jeffers to third. One out later, Taylor hit a flyball to left field and Jeffers slid home ahead of a bouncing throw from Whit Merrifield.
Toronto loaded the bases against Jhoan Duran (2-2) in the ninth but couldn’t break through. Brandon Belt lined out to second base on a 3-2 pitch to send it to extra innings.
Duran worked around a one-out walk in the 10th, getting a strikeout and a popup to end it.
Taylor made it 2-0 when he connected off left-hander Yusei Kukuchi for his ninth home run of the season and second in two games.
Bo Bichette cut the lead in half with an RBI single off Sonny Gray in the bottom of the fifth, and the Blue Jays tied it with a two-out rally in the sixth.
George Springer pinch-hit for Cavan Biggio after Santiago Espinal’s two-out single, and the Twins countered by replacing left-hander Jovani Moran with right-hander Brock Stewart. Springer lined Stewart’s first pitch off the wall for an RBI double, taking third on the throw home.
Stewart struck out pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk to keep it tied.
Kikuchi allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Gray gave up one run and five hits in five innings, walking two and striking out five.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: LHP Caleb Thielbar was placed on the 15-day injured list because of a strained right oblique. Minnesota recalled RHP Josh Winder from Triple-A. St. Paul. ... OF Joey Gallo (strained left hamstring) went 0 for 2 with a sacrifice fly in his first rehab game with St. Paul.
Blue Jays: OF Kevin Kiermaier left Thursday’s game against Houston after he was hit on the left wrist by a pitch and didn’t start Friday, but came on to be the automatic runner in the 10th.
BASS OUT
The Blue Jays cut RHP Anthony Bass Friday, one day after the reliever said he didn’t think an anti-LGBTQ+ social media post he shared last month was hateful. Toronto activated RHP Mitch White (elbow) off the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
RHP Joe Ryan (7-3, 2.76 ERA) starts for the Twins Saturday. The Blue Jays had not named a starter to replace Alek Manoah, who was demoted to the Florida Complex League earlier this week. RHP Bowden Francis is a candidate to start or come on after an opener.
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