By Canadian Press

Espinal’s three-run ninth-inning blast not enough as Jays fall 8-6 to Twins

Jun 5, 2022 | 2:24 PM

TORONTO — A Santiago Espinal three-run ninth-inning blast to go with earlier solo shots from George Springer, Alejandro Kirk and Matt Chapman fell short in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 8-6 rubber-match loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Espinal’s one-out homer gave the Blue Jays (31-22) their 22nd round-tripper in their last 11 games. But four batters later, Bo Bichette grounded out to third to end the game, leaving runners on first and third.

Minnesota leadoff hitter Luis Arraez belted four singles to lead the Twins’ 16-hit attack as Minnesota won two of three games.

Trevor Larnach launched a solo shot in the seventh, and Gary Sanchez smashed a two-run homer in the eighth to support a strong four innings from starter Devin Smeltzer before 34,088 at Rogers Centre.

Making his fifth start this season, Smeltzer (3-0) gave up two homers but only four hits. To end the first and to begin the third inning, he got six ground-ball outs, including a double play to escape the first inning.

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The American League Central-leading Twins (32-24) roughed up Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (5-4) in the first two innings.

Gausman gave up singles to Arraez and Sanchez in a 31-pitch first inning. Arraez scored when Toronto’s Teoscar Hernandez muffed a fly ball in the swirling right-field winds.

Sanchez then scored on Gio Urshela’s ground ball to Bichette. Polanco touched home plate on Jose Miranda’s single to centre for a 3-0 lead.

Hernandez did throw out Miranda on his race to third base when Gilberto Celestino singled to right.

Springer smacked his 11th homer down the left-field line in the bottom of the first, but the Twins pushed in two more runs in the second inning.

Nick Gordon led off with a triple and scored on Jermaine Palacios’s single to right. Palacios touched home three batters later on Jorge Polanco’s infield hit down the third-base line.

Kirk smacked his fourth homer in five games into the second deck down the left-field line with two out in the fourth inning.

After Larnach made it 6-2 in the seventh with a homer to right, Chapman smashed his one-out shot to left in the bottom of the inning.

Gausman surrendered nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk before giving way to a series of Toronto relievers.

Sanchez’s two-run homer in the eighth came off Blue Jays pitcher Jeremy Beasley with two out.

STREAK INTACT

Even though the Twins scored five runs in Gausman’s 3 ⅔ innings, only three were unearned because of Hernandez’s first-inning error. The Blue Jays right-hander has yet to yield more than three earned runs in his 11 starts.

SPRINGING AHEAD

Springer’s homer was his seventh leadoff round-tripper of the season, surpassing Devon White’s club record of six in 1991.

COMING UP

The Blue Jays hit the road for a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals and a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

On Monday, right-hander Ross Stripling (1-1, 4.22 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays in the opener against Kansas City lefty Daniel Lynch (2-4, 4.81 ERA).

Toronto’s Alek Manoah (6-1, 1.98 ERA) and Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 3.91 ERA) are slated to pitch on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2022.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press