Brandon Valenzuela’s three-run homer capped an eight-run eighth inning Saturday afternoon, and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 11-4.
The first eight batters scored in the eighth as Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Lenyn Sosa, Myles Straw and Kazuma Okamoto hit solo homers to account for Toronto’s scoring before the eighth.
Byron Buxton homered to right on a fastball to lead off the Minnesota first against Dylan Cease (2-1). It was Buxton’s 10th homer of the season — all in the past 17 games — and the first Cease has allowed.
Toronto homered twice in the second against Connor Prielipp, making his third major league start. Sosa homered to left center on a one-out, 0-1 changeup, and Straw drilled a two-out fastball to the second deck in left.
Minnesota scored twice in the home second. Kody Clemens singled, and Luke Keaschall walked. They advanced on a groundout. Both scored on Brooks Lee’s bouncer to first with the second run scoring on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s errant flip to Cease at the bag.
Toronto designated hitter George Springer left the game in the third inning after he was hit on the left foot by a slider and fell in pain. He returned this week from the injured list after suffering a fractured left big toe on a foul ball on April 11.
Minnesota added a run in the fifth. Tristan Gray singled, took second on a groundout and scored on Trevor Larnach’s single.
Prielipp completed five innings, allowing two runs, three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Okamoto hit a 453-foot blast to left center on Justin Topa’s 1-1 sinker with one out in the sixth. It was Okamoto’s third homer in two games.
Cease completed seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Ernie Clement singled, and Guerrero walked to start the eighth against Luis Garcia (0-1). Okamoto grounded an RBI single. Sosa’s infield hit scored the go-ahead run. Anthony Banda replaced Garcia and could not field Daulton Varsho’s grounder for an error. Straw walked to force in a run, Davis Schneider snapped a 0-for-27 drought with a two-run double and Valenzuela homered.
