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Blue Jays At Twins: Bautista's Three Homers Help Crush Twins

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Eight Is Not Great: Twins Lose Again, 11-3

The Toronto Blue Jays struck early and often on Sunday afternoon, scoring in each of the first four innings en route to trouncing the Minnesota Twins at Target Field by a final score of 11-3.

The Blue Jays had their offense going early, as a two-out, two-run double by Aaron Hill in the top of the first gave Toronto a quick 2-0 lead. An RBI double by Yunel Escobar in the top of the second made the score 3-0. Jose Bautista led off the top of the third with a solo home run to left off of Brian Duensing to make the score 4-0, and the Jays would score three more times in the inning to make it 7-0 in favor of the visitors.

Duensing was lifted after three innings for Kevin Slowey, and Bautista greeted him with a solo home run to left as well, extending Toronto's lead to 8-0. The Twins then appeared to almost have a threat going in the bottom of the fourth against Toronto starter Brendan Morrow. Trevor Plouffe got hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Jason Kubel singled to put runners on the corners, and Justin Morneau walked to load the bases for Minnesota with nobody out.

In typical Twins fashion. . .the 2011 Twins, anyway. . .it didn't amount to much. Delmon Young struck out on three pitches, and Michael Cuddyer walked to force home Minnesota's first run. Danny Valencia then flew out to right, but not deep enough for Kubel to score from third base, and Drew Butera struck out to end the inning.

After that, the Twins managed to hold the Blue Jays scoreless for an entire inning, and RBI doubles from Plouffe and Morneau narrowed the gap to 8-3 going into the sixth. Toronto then refocused themselves, and picked up three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Those runs came courtesy of an RBI single from Corey Patterson, and Bautista's third home run of the afternoon, who decided to add a little variety by taking Slowey out to right field instead. The score at that point was 11-3, and that was how the game ended. Minnesota loaded the bases again in the bottom of the ninth, but Toronto reliever Octavio Dotel got Jason Kubel to strike out looking to end the ball game.

Morrow got the victory for the Blue Jays, evening his record on the season at 2-2. Duensing took the loss, allowing eight hits and seven runs in his three innings of work, dropping his record to 2-3. Slowey allowed four runs on five hits in six innings of relief.

No rest for Minnesota, as they'll catch a flight out of town to Seattle for a quick two-game set with the Seattle Mariners on Monday and Tuesday. First pitch from Safeco Field on Monday is scheduled for 9:10 PM Central time. The pitching match-up will have Scott Baker (2-2, 3.71 ERA) taking the mound for the Twins. He'll be opposed by one of baseball's best pitchers, Seattle's Felix Hernandez (4-3, 3.36 ERA).

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Twins Lose To Blue Jays, 9-3, After Another Pitching Collapse

The Minnesota Twins found another new, creative, and exciting way to lose on Saturday afternoon at Target Field, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays in an eleven-inning affair by a score of 9-3.

Yes, a six-run loss in extra innings. Your 2011 Minnesota Twins, ladies and gentlemen.

The two teams were tied at two after five and a half innings, and the Twins took a 3-2 lead on Michael Cuddyer's solo home run to lead off the sixth. Nick Blackburn cruised into the top of the eighth inning, and got the first two outs in short order, but then Yunel Escobar reached on an infield single, and scored on Corey Patterson's triple to tie the game at three. Matt Capps came in to relieve Blackburn, and retired Juan Rivera on strikes to end the inning.

After Capps retired the Blue Jays in order in the top of the ninth, the Twins gave themselves an opportunity in the bottom half against former teammate Jon Rauch, thanks to Justin Morneau's one-out double. Unfortunately, they failed to capitalize, as Delmon Young struck out swinging, and Michael Cuddyer popped out to second to end the threat.

Neither team threatened in the tenth, and Glen Perkins, who got through the tenth with no problem, gave up a lead-off single to Corey Patterson to start the eleventh. Jim Hoey came in to relieve Perkins, and promptly gave up a two-run homer to Jose Bautista to break the deadlock. Hoey then walked two consecutive hitters before being lifted for Jose Mijares, who gave up a two-run double to J.P. Arrencibia. Mijares gave up a hit to Edwin Encarnacion, and then walked two consecutive hitters to force in a run and was lifted without recording an out. By the time the smoke finally cleared, the Twins had given up six runs and trailed 9-3 going into the bottom of the eleventh.

Shawn Camp retired the Twins in order in the bottom of the eleventh, and the reeling Twins were sent to their seventh straight loss.

Rauch got the victory for the Blue Jays, lifting his record for the season to 2-2. Perkins took the loss for the Twins, which was his first decision of 2011.

The Twins will attempt to avoid their eighth straight loss and their third consecutive series sweep on Sunday at Target Field. Right-hander Brandon Morrow (1-2, 4.71 ERA) will take the ball for the Blue Jays, and the Twins will counter with lefty Brian Duensing (2-2, 3.32 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 PM Central time.

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Twins' Offense Stalls Again In 2-0 Loss To Toronto

The Minnesota Twins got some sobering news earlier in the day, and looked very flat during their game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, dropping their series opener at Target Field by a final score of 2-0.

On Friday morning, news had gone out that former Twins legend Harmon Killebrew, who was still a very large part of the organization, had given up his fight against esophageal cancer, moving into hospice care to live out his final days. It's hard to say how much of an effect the news had on the Twins, but it certainly wasn't anything positive.

The Twins managed just four hits against Blue Jays' starter Ricky Romero, as Romero took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Denard Span singled with two outs in the sixth to break up the no-no.

Carl Pavano pitched reasonably well for the Twins as well, going 5.1 shutout innings before being lifted for Alex Burnett. Even though the Blue Jays collected thirteen hits off of Twins pitching, they managed only two runs. The first came in the top of the seventh off of Burnett, when Corey Patterson led off the inning with a walk, and then proceeded to steal second base. After a walk to Jose Bautista, Jim Hoey came in to relieve Burnett, and promptly gave up a single to Juan Rivera that brought Patterson home with the game's first run.

Bautista gave the Jays an insurance run in the top of the ninth, as he blasted a solo home run off of Joe Nathan to provide the final margin of victory for Toronto. The Twins mounted a bit of a threat in the bottom of the ninth, getting runners to first and second and finally chasing Romero one out short of a complete game, but Frank Francisco came on and struck out Michael Cuddyer to end the game.

The victory raised Romero's record to 3-4, and dropped his ERA to 3.35. Francisco registered his third save of the year by recording the final out. Burnett ended up taking the loss for the Twins, dropping his record to 0-2 on the year.

The same two teams will get together tomorrow at Target Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:10 PM Central time. The Blue Jays will hand the ball to left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes (0-3, 5.00 ERA), while the Twins will go with right-hander Nick Blackburn (2-4, 3.95).

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Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.