*Photo from MLB.com*
Looking to get a win, the Minnesota Twins turned the clock back to the Bomba Squad days. Kyle Garlick hit two home runs, Jose Miranda also had a two homer game, and the Twins breezed past the Blue Jays with a 9-3 victory on Friday night in Toronto.
Facing some adversity, the Twins picked up a necessary win in Toronto, trying to stop a skid. They've lost 6 out of their last 10 games, but the Twins hope that this is the start of a turnaround. Thanks to contributions of unsung heroes Garlick and Miranda, the Twins got the win in this one.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Garlick and Miranda that "We have a lot of different guys that we turn to. A lot of guys that can do it and are dangerous hitters up and down the lineup. Seeing Jose Miranda do it, coming up so big for us on a day like this, it’s huge."
Starting the scoring was Garlick, who hit a two run home run in the top of the first inning, putting the Twins ahead 2-0 early. In the bottom half of the first, George Springer hit a solo home run to make it a 2-1 game, before Teoscar Hernandez drove in the game tying run with an RBI single. In the second inning, Miranda hit a solo home run to put the Twins ahead 3-2.
When the 3rd inning hit, Garlick made it a 4-2 lead for the Twins with a solo home run, his second of the night. In the bottom of the 3rd, Vladimir Guerrero Jr made it a one run game again with a solo home run of his own. In the 6th inning, Miranda made it 6-3 with a two run home run, his second of the night. An RBI single in the 8th by Luis Arraez and a two run home run in the 9th from Byron Buxton made it a 9-3 game.
Baldelli said of pulling out the win that "There are a lot of different things going on. We’re coming to Canada, there are different rules that affect the roster. We’re coming off a series where we didn’t play our best, either. And to come up here and beat a good team at their ballpark, I think it says a lot about our group."
Getting the start for the Twins was Chi-Chi Gonzalez, who allowed 3 runs on 4 hits over 3 innings of work. Jovani Moran threw the 4th inning before Jharel Cotton came in, getting the win over two shutout innings. Tyler Duffey, Joe Smith, and Griffin Jax each threw shutout innings to end the game.
It was Yusei Kikuchi getting the start for the Blue Jays, and got the loss after yielding 4 runs on 7 hits over 4 2/3 innings. Trevor Richards handled 1 1/3 innings in immediate relief of Kikuchi, allowing two runs of his own. Andrew Vasquez and Jeremy Beasley gave up one and two runs respectively, with Julian Merryweather being the only Toronto pitcher with a shutout appearance.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was very direct after the game, saying in his press conference that "Today was the first time that everybody struggled. The pitching struggled, we didn't really hit, and that's why we lost the game."
Up next, the Twins and Blue Jays continue their series on Saturday afternoon. There, Dylan Bundy starts for Minnesota, while the Blue Jays counter with Jose Berrios.
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