Byron Buxton went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and an RBI, and the Minnesota Twins pulled away for a 7-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run homer for Minnesota, which won the opener of a four-game series. Austin Martin, Josh Bell and Luke Keaschall drove in one run apiece for the Twins.
Daulton Varsho hit a solo homer for Toronto’s lone run.
Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (3-1) limited the Blue Jays to one run on four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-2) allowed four runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He also walked two and struck out two.
Toronto opened the scoring in the top of the fourth inning. Varsho belted a 397-foot solo shot over the wall in right field for his fourth homer of the season and his first since April 14.
The Twins responded to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Trevor Larnach drew a leadoff walk, and Jeffers followed with a two-run homer over the wall in left-center field.
Buxton continued his power surge in the sixth. He led off the inning with a solo shot to left-center field that marked his eighth homer of the season and his fifth homer in the past nine games.
The blast by Buxton made it 3-1, and the Twins added another run in the sixth to seize a three-run lead. Martin ripped an RBI single to center to drive in Larnach.
Minnesota tacked on three more runs in the eighth to increase its advantage to 7-1.
Buxton started the big inning with a single to center. Jeffers reached on a fielder’s choice ground ball that included a throwing error by Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, and Bell capitalized moments later with a single to make it 6-1.
Keaschall capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Bell.
Twins relievers Anthony Banda, Andrew Morris and Justin Topa combined to pitch three scoreless innings to preserve the victory for Ober.
–Field Level Media
