Field Level Media
Apr 30, 2018
Justin Smoak and Russell Martin hit home runs, and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays held on to defeat the Minnesota Twins 7-5 Monday night at Target Field in Minneapolis.
Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez (2-2) allowed four runs, six hits, three walks and had two strikeouts in six innings to earn the win in the opener of a three-game series.
Roberto Osuna pitched around a single and a double in the ninth to pick up his seventh save of the season.
Twins starter Lance Lynn (0-3) allowed six runs, seven hits and five walks while striking out four in five innings.
Eduardo Escobar homered for the Twins.
The Blue Jays scored twice in the second. Yangervis Solarte singled and took third on Kevin Pillar's double. Kendrys Morales was walked intentionally with one out to load the bases. Solarte scored when Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s squibber up the third base line was ruled to have stayed fair, although it appeared foul on a replay. Curtis Granderson later walked to force in a run.
The Blue Jays added three runs in the fourth. Granderson walked and Teoscar Hernandez doubled him to third. A passed ball scored one run, and Smoak hit a towering blast to right for his fourth homer of the season to score two more.
The Twins scored once in the bottom of the fourth. Max Kepler tripled to right and scored on a groundout by Logan Morrison.
Martin led off the fifth with his third homer of the season.
The Twins cut the lead to 6-3 when Escobar hit his fourth homer of the season after a two-out walk to Eddie Rosario.
Trevor Hildenberger replaced Lynn in the sixth and pitched two perfect innings.
The Twins scored once in the bottom of the sixth when Robbie Grossman led off with a double and scored on Mitch Garver's groundout to shortstop.
The Twins scored again in the seventh after Joe Mauer singled against Aaron Loup and scored on Kepler's double against Danny Barnes.
Toronto's Tyler Clippard struck out the side in the eighth.
The Blue Jays scored an unearned run in the ninth against Ryan Pressly. Smoak reached second when the left fielder Rosario dropped his fly ball for an error and scored on Solarte's single.
--Field Level Media