Toronto had an explosive offensive performance against the Minnesota Twins, hitting three two-run homers, two of which were in a seven-run first inning. This offensive showcase, coupled with a stellar pitching performance by José Berríos, led to a dominant 15-0 victory for the Blue Jays on Saturday night. Daulton Varsho and Spencer Horwitz contributed to the early lead with their two-run home runs off Twins starter Zebby Matthews in the first inning. Matthews struggled to contain the Blue Jays’ offense, allowing a total of nine runs in just two innings.
Minnesota’s loss kept them 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Guardians and a game back of the second-place Royals in the American League Central. Toronto set season highs with 15 runs and 23 hits in the game.
José Berríos, facing his former team, the Twins, delivered a strong performance by pitching six shutout innings, allowing only three singles and striking out five. Berríos, who pitched for the Twins from 2016 to 2021 before being traded to Toronto, improved his lifetime record to 4-1 against Minnesota.
Adding to the Blue Jays’ offensive onslaught, second baseman Will Wagner hit a solo home run, his second since making his big league debut in June. Infielder Kyle Farmer of the Twins took the mound in the eighth and ninth innings, conceding three runs, marking his second pitching appearance in his career.
In injury updates, Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who has been out of the lineup since July 19 due to a calf injury, participated in running drills on Saturday. For the Twins, center fielder Manny Margot left Saturday’s game due to right groin tightness.
The series finale will feature Blue Jays’ right-hander Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.82 ERA) seeking his first win since July 6, while the Twins will start right-hander Bailey Ober (12-6, 4.06 ERA), who aims to bounce back from a rough outing against Atlanta in his last start.
