Mitch Garver went 4-for-6 with five RBIs, including a two-run double in a six-run 11th inning, as the visiting Minnesota Twins completed a three-game sweep with a 12-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.
Joe Mauer added three hits and three RBIs for the Twins, who took the lead in the 11th when Max Kepler was hit by a pitch from Jake Petricka (1-1) with two outs and the bases loaded.
Matt Belisle (1-0) pitched around three singles over two innings to earn the win.
The Twins loaded the bases with two outs against Petricka in the 11th on a Brian Dozier double and consecutive walks to Logan Morrison and Jorge Polanco. Kepler was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected by plate umpire Sean Barber when he came out to replace Petricka with Luis Santos.
Garver and Robbie Grossman each added two-run doubles against Santos, and Mauer followed with an RBI single for the sixth and final run of the inning.
Toronto's Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was 2-for-6 and has eight straight multi-hit games to set a team record for rookies.
Ervin Santana, making his first start of the season for the Twins after finger surgery in February, allowed three runs, seven hits, one walk and had five strikeouts in five innings.
Blue Jays starter Sam Gaviglio yielded three runs, six hits and three walks while striking out four in five innings.
The Blue Jays scored in the first. Curtis Granderson led off with a single, Justin Smoak walked one out later and Kendrys Morales hit an RBI double.
The Twins scored three runs in the second inning. Polanco singled with one out, Kepler walked and Garver hit an RBI single. Jake Cave's grounder to second forced Garver as Kepler scored. Mauer followed with an RBI double for the 3-1 lead.
The Blue Jays scored once in the bottom of the second. Randal Grichuk doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Aledmys Diaz.
Toronto tied the game in the fifth when Gurriel doubled, Smoak singled and Morales hit a sacrifice fly.
Minnesota regained the lead in the sixth against Aaron Loup on Garver's fifth homer of the season.
After Tyler Clippard pitched around a walk and a single in the seventh for Toronto, Joe Biagini allowed two runs in the eighth. Polanco singled, Kepler hit a ground-rule double and Garver had an RBI single. Ryan Tepera replaced Biagini and allowed Mauer's one-out RBI double.
The Blue Jays tied the game at 6 with three runs in eighth against Trevor Hildenberger. Morales singled, Grichuk doubled and Teoscar Hernandez walked to load the bases. Luke Maile hit a two-run single. The tying run scored when Maile was forced at second on Diaz's grounder.
--Field Level Media
Minnesota | Toronto | |
Ervin Santana | Player | Sam Gaviglio |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 5.0 |
5 | Strikeouts | 4 |
7 | Hits | 6 |
5.40 | ERA | 5.40 |
Minnesota | Toronto | |
Mitch Garver | Player | Randal Grichuk |
4 | Hits | 3 |
5 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
8 | TB | 5 |
.667 | Avg | .600 |