Blue Jays blitz Twins 15-0 with 23-hit attack

Field Level Media|published: Sat 31st August, 22:17 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) celebrates the two run home run against the Minnesota Twins with first baseman Vladimir Guerrero (27) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Will Wagner homered among his career-high five hits, highlighting Toronto's season-high 23-hit output as the Blue Jays pounded the Minnesota Twins 15-0 on Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Spencer Horwitz (3-for 5, three RBIs), Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger also homered and Leo Jimenez drove in three for the Blue Jays, who evened the series at 1-1 heading into Sunday afternoon's rubber match. Nathan Lukes finished 4-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs.

Royce Lewis went 1-for-4 with a double for the Twins. That marked the only extra-base hit for Minnesota, which managed only four hits.

Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios (14-9) pitched six scoreless innings against his former team. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out five.

Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews (1-2) was shellacked for nine runs on 10 hits in two innings. He walked none and struck out five.

Blue Jays relievers Tommy Nance, Erik Swanson and Ryan Burr combined for three scoreless innings.

Toronto set the tone with a seven-run first. Varsho started the scoring with a two-run homer to center and Horwitz made it 4-0 with a two-run shot to right. By the time Lukas hit an RBI ground-rule double and Jimenez ripped a two-run single to left, the game already seemed out of reach for Minnesota.

Barger made it 9-0 in the second with a two-run homer.

Michael Tonkin took over for Matthews in the third, but the Blue Jays continued their attack. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-5) hit an RBI single to center and Horwitz did the same to make it 11-0.

Toronto took a 12-0 lead in the sixth on Wagner's 419-foot homer to right.

In the eighth, Lukes hit a triple to center to drive in Wagner. Jimenez finished his big game with an RBI single to center to drive in Lukes and make it 14-0.

Toronto finished the scoring in the ninth. Barger hit a two-out single, advanced to second on a walk to Alejandro Kirk and scored on Wagner's double to right.

The Blue Jays' 15-run performance marked their highest-scoring game of the season. Their previous high was 11 against the Detroit Tigers on May 26.

--Field Level Media

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