Four homers power Blue Jays over Twins

[May 21, 2016]  MINNEAPOLIS -- Perhaps the Minnesota Twins were the cure for what ailed the slumping Toronto Blue Jays.

Blue Jays relief pitcher Chad Girodo (57) celebrates with catcher Russell Martin (55) after defeating the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Blue Jays won 9-3. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to four home runs and a five-run sixth inning, the Blue Jays routed the Twins 9-3 on Friday night at Target Field.

It was Toronto's second win in as many days over Minnesota after entering the series with a five-game losing streak.

"We talked about how big of a ballgame that was last night, how big of a win that was," said left fielder Michael Saunders, who had one of Toronto's four homers Friday. "To come out here and do what we did tonight, we'd love it if the floodgates just started opening."

Jose Bautista's eighth home run of the year put the game out of reach in the sixth. His three-run shot to left field off Twins reliever Trevor May put Toronto up 7-1.

Earlier in the inning, Troy Tulowitzki doubled to make it 3-1, and pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes knocked in a run with a single to center.

Saunders added a solo homer in the seventh, his seventh home run of the year. Darwin Barney, who entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth, hit a solo blast in the eighth off reliever Michael Tonkin.

The nine runs for the Blue Jays matched the second most they've scored in a game this year, and the four home runs matched a season high.

"You can't expect us to go out and score nine or 10 runs a game. It's obviously nice that we did," Saunders said. "We hit our homers tonight, but we had guys on. I think that's been the biggest difference."

Twins starter Tyler Duffey lasted 5 2/3 innings and gave up six runs and nine hits, including a two-run homer to Josh Donaldson in the third. Meanwhile, Toronto's Aaron Sanchez held the Twins in check, giving up two runs in seven innings.

Sanchez's solid outing Friday came one start after he allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks against Texas. He struck out seven Twins and didn't walk a batter as he earned his fourth win.

"It always seems to be that walks always find a way to cross the plate," Sanchez said. "When you can eliminate those like I did tonight, they've got to earn everything they do, and they did."

Robbie Grossman drove in all three runs for Minnesota in his first game in a Twins uniform. His final RBI came on a home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Grossman signed a minor league contract with the Twins earlier this week.

Toronto's win came on the heels of an 11-inning victory on Thursday to open the series. That win snapped a season-high five-game losing streak for Toronto (21-23).

The Twins' fifth straight loss drops Minnesota to a major league-worst 10-31.

"We're trying to find ways the best we can. It's challenging," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "These guys are hungry to win games, and it's just not happening."

On the first pitch he saw in a Twins uniform, Grossman put his new team up 1-0 in the second. He jumped on Sanchez's offering for a double to left field, driving in Miguel Sano from first.

Grossman advanced to third base on the play thanks to an error by second baseman Ryan Goins but was stranded there after catcher Juan Centeno grounded to first base for the final out.

Minnesota's lead didn't last long. Donaldson tagged a two-run blast to the second deck in left field off Duffey. That put Toronto up 2-1 three batters into the third inning.

Bautista singled to left ahead of Donaldson, who connected for his team-leading 10th homer of the year.

The Twins threatened in the fifth after a two-out triple by center fielder Danny Santana, but Sanchez struck out Brian Dozier to end the inning without allowing the tying run.

NOTES: OF Robbie Grossman made his Twins debut against Toronto. Grossman played left field and batted seventh in the lineup. Minnesota acquired Grossman on May 16 when he opted out of his minor league contract with Cleveland. He appeared in just one game for Triple-A Rochester before joining the Twins. ... Toronto manager John Gibbons returned to the dugout after serving a three-game suspension. He was suspended as a result of the benches-clearing brawl that took place Sunday between the Blue Jays and Texas Rangers. ... Twins INF Eduardo Escobar (hamstring) began a rehab assignment on Friday with Class A Fort Myers. He batted second and played shortstop for the Miracle. ... The four-game series between Minnesota and Toronto continues Saturday afternoon at Target Field. The Blue Jays will send LHP J.A. Happ (5-1, 3.40 ERA) to the mound against Twins LHP Pat Dean (0-1, 4.50).

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