MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit three runs, Teoscar Hernández went home for the second day in a row and the Toronto Blue Jays won 9-3 over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.
Whit Merrifield, who revealed earlier in the day that he is now vaccinated for COVID-19 and will compete in Canada, had two hits on his Blue Jays debut after being acquired from Kansas City for two Small jumper on the trading deadline.
Toronto took the win for the 12th time in 15 games and got six effective innings from Alek Manoah.
Manoah (12-5) allowed two runs with two hits but finished the season high with four walks. The All-Star first left his previous start with an elbow strike. He was hit in the right bicep zone by a hitter in the fourth inning for Minnesota’s first hit but remained in the game.
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Twins starting Sonny Gray also had a no-brainer in the middle of the half before Cavan Biggio pulled in a brace in the fifth half. Gray finished in five innings, dropping only one shot, but he went the season’s top five hitters.
Emilio Pagán (3-5) relieves Gray and allows three runs – twice earned – over four hits in a round.
Hernández sent Pagán’s offer to the back of the second deck on the left side of the court to start game six and three. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Merrifield added the single RBI. Guerrero’s 22nd match made it past the 1/8 round.
Jose Miranda had two RBIs for Minnesota on a pitch and breakout. Jake Cave hit his first home run in his third game of the season.
ROOM OF TRAINER
Blue Jays: George Springer returns as designated attacker after missing three games with an elbow injury. Interim coach John Schneider said Springer was “feeling better” and checked the list of items the team wanted to see before bringing him back into the squad. Schneider said injuries are something the team will likely have to deal with for the rest of the season.
Twins: OF Kyle Garlick was added to the injury list 10 days before the game with a right thoracic effusion. Garlick was injured in a collision with the left wall in San Diego on July 29. Gilberto Celestino’s paternity list has been restored. … Manager Rocco Baldelli said there is a chance that Max Kepler (broken right fifth toe) could return to the squad by the end of the week. … RHP Jorge Alcala received arthroscopic right elbow surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be ready for training next spring.
NEXT
RHP Tyler Mahle will launch Twins on Friday after being acquired on trade term from Cincinnati for three prospects. Mahle is 5-7 with an ERA of 4.40 in 19 games for the Reds. Toronto faces former Minnesota RHP José Berríos (8-4, 4.96). Berríos has faced the Twins three times since the deal’s end of 2021 deadline, including a seven-game, two-halve start this season.
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