Kevin Kiermaier homered and scored a hat-trick to help the Toronto Blue Jays earn a 3-1 victory against Minnesota twins Friday in the opener of a three-game series in Minneapolis
Bo Bichette also had two hits, including a two-run homer, and George Springer doubled twice for the blue jayswho had lost seven of eight
blue jays starter Kevin Gausman (3-3) allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked five, a season high
Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and Nate Pearson combined for 2 2/3 innings of no-hitter relief before Jordan Romano pitched the ninth for his 11th save.
Twins Starter Louie Varland (2-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter
Minnesota couldn’t take advantage of nine walks and blocked 13 runners while losing for the fourth time in the last five games.
Kiermaier and Bichette homered in the third inning to score all of Toronto’s runs.
Kiermaier fired a two-out slider, 1-2 over the fence on the right for a 1-0 lead.
Springer followed with his second straight brace before Bichette hit a two-run homer over the center fence for a 3-0 lead.
Gausman, who had just 11 batters on his feet in 63 innings, walked his fourth and fifth batters of the game in the sixth inning before Kyle Garlick hit a one-out double to make it 3-1 and end at Gausman’s party.
Swanson came in and pushed pinch hitter Joey Gallo to load the bases, but Swanson retired Michael A. Taylor at 3-2, then forced Donovan Solano into a late-inning fielder’s pick.
Twins shortstop Carlos Correa returned after missing two games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and he made a key defensive play in the first inning
With Springer at third base and one out, Correa lined up a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounder with the infield and scored the runner between home and third before throwing to first and making Guerrero try to rush to the bag.
Kiermaier was caught in a race between home and third for the second out in the fifth inning.
–Field-Level Media