Twins 7, Blue Jays 0 (1st)

[April 18, 2014]  MINNEAPOLIS — Twins 7, Blue Jays 0 (1st): Kyle Gibson pitched eight scoreless innings while Trevor Plouffe and Josmil Pinto each knocked in two runs as host Minnesota rolled over Toronto in the opener of a split doubleheader.

Pinto’s bases-loaded double that brought home two highlighted a five-run fifth inning while Chris Colabello tallied two hits and an RBI for the Twins. Joe Mauer added two hits and scored twice while Gibson (3-0) allowed only four hits and one walk while striking out four.

Colby Rasmus and Josh Thole each collected a pair of hits for the Blue Jays, but Melky Cabrera went 0-for-4 to end his 14-game hitting streak. Toronto starter R.A. Dickey (1-3) was charged with five runs on seven hits and five walks over 4 1/3 innings while throwing 112 pitches.

The Twins left the bases loaded in the fourth, but broke the game open in the next inning as Brian Dozier’s infield hit and Mauer’s single set the table. Plouffe and Jason Kubel delivered RBI singles before Pinto drilled his two-run double off the center-field wall and Kurt Suzuki lifted a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.

Minnesota padded its lead in the sixth courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Plouffe and a run-scoring double by Colabello to center field. Gibson threw 105 pitches and got help from two double plays before Anthony Swarzak worked a perfect ninth to give the Twins their first shutout of the season.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The temperature at the start of the game was 31 degrees. … Toronto 1B Adam Lind missed the game due to a sore back. … Mauer was named Major League Baseball’s 2014 All-Star Ambassador on Thursday for the game which is slated to be played at Target Field in Minneapolis on July 15.

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