Carlos Correa hit his second career grand slam in a seven-run eighth inning as the visiting Minnesota Twins rallied to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, 9-4 on Saturday afternoon.
Max Kepler added a three-run homer for the Twins in the eighth. Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot in the seventh for the Twins, who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Adam Cimber (0-2) took the loss after getting tagged for six runs on five hits and recording just one out in the eighth.
Minnesota starter Joe Ryan allowed three runs, six hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings. Jorge Lopez (2-2) earned the win in relief.
Trailing 3-1, Michael A. Taylor led off the Minnesota eighth with a bunt single against Cimber. Edouard Julien and Donovan Solano followed with singles to load the bases. With one out, Correa hit a blast to left-center for his eighth home run of the season and Minnesota led 5-3. After a single and a hit batter, Cimber was replaced by Mitch White, who allowed Kepler’s seventh homer of the season.
Matt Chapman led off the Toronto second with a walk, took second on a groundout and scored on Whit Merrifield’s single.
Toronto took a 2-0 lead in the third when Brandon Belt doubled and scored on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s single.
George Springer led off the Toronto fifth with a double, took third on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Lukes, batting for Belt, who felt hamstring tightness when scoring in the third.
Larnach hit his sixth home run of the season, a drive to center on the first pitch of the seventh inning off Bowden Francis, to get the Twins on the board.
Minnesota added a run in the ninth on doubles by Solano and Alex Kirilloff.
Jose De Leon allowed a single, a walk and Santiago Espinal’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth before being replaced by Brock Stewart, who induced the game-ending double play.
Toronto right-hander Trevor Richards, a reliever used as an opener, allowed no runs, one hit and one walk while striking out seven in three innings.
–Field Level Media
