Aug. 31, 2024 22:44 PM EST

Daulton Varsho, Spencer Horwitz Homer In 7-Run 1St Inning As Blue Jays Rout Twins, 15-0

By TYLER MASON
Associated Press
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn) Matt Krohn, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho celebrates his two-run home run while he runs the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Spencer Horwitz celebrates after his two-run home run while he runs the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler attempts to field the ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Toronto hit three two-run homers, including two in a seven-run first inning, and José Berríos tossed six shutout innings as the Blue Jays routed the Minnesota Twins 15-0 on Saturday night.

Daulton Varsho and Spencer Horwitz each hit two-run home runs in the first inning off Twins starter Zebby Matthews (1-2), giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead just four batters into the game. Toronto scored three more runs in the inning off Matthews to take a 7-0 lead before Minnesota’s bats ever got to the plate.

“I felt like towards the end of the game, everybody was running to the bat rack to try and get in there,” Horwitz said. “When you get that energy and the offense kind of rolling, it’s contagious and I think we saw that tonight.”

Matthews lasted just one more inning in his fourth career start. He surrendered another two-run blast in the second, this time off the bat of Addison Barger, to make it a 9-0 Toronto lead.

“It’s obviously very frustrating,” Matthews said. “My job is to go out there and give the team the best chance to win and I didn’t do that tonight.”

Cleveland and Kansas City also lost Saturday, so Minnesota remains 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Guardians and a game back of the second-place Royals in the American League Central.

Saturday tied a Blue Jays franchise record for largest shutout win. Toronto set season highs for both runs (15) and hits (23).

That was more than enough offensive support for Berríos (14-9), who was sharp against his former team. The right-hander allowed just three hits, all singles, and tallied five strikeouts in six innings.

After the game, Toronto manager John Schneider mentioned that Berríos was under the weather. Berríos said he had a fever.

“I want to keep going out there and do my thing to help my team, and I did it,” Berríos said. “It was a challenge for me today.”

Berríos pitched for the Twins from 2016 to 2021, when he was dealt to Toronto at the trade deadline. He is now 4-1 lifetime against Minnesota.

Twins infielder Kyle Farmer pitched the eighth and ninth innings and allowed three runs. It's the second time in his career he’s taken the mound.

Second baseman Will Wagner added a solo homer for Toronto, his second big league homer since debuting on June 26. Wagner finished the game with five hits, the first rookie in Blue Jays history to do so.

“Nothing really phases him,” Schneider said. "I just love the way he goes about it every single day. Simple swing and just understands the game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf) hasn’t played since July 19, and manager John Schneider said Bichette did some running Saturday, though not on the bases yet. Schneider said the team hopes Bichette will run on the bases in the next few days.

Twins: CF Manny Margot exited Saturday’s game with right groin tightness. He'll undergo an MRI on Sunday morning.

UP NEXT

RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.82 ERA) will look for his first win since July 6 as he takes the mound for the Blue Jays in the series finale. Minnesota will start RHP Bailey Ober (12-6, 4.06), who was roughed up for nine runs in just two innings against Atlanta in his last start.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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