The visiting Minnesota Twins regained their hitting touch Saturday, and they hope it continues Sunday afternoon (1:37 p.m. ET on Sportsnet and SN NOW) when they go for a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.
After struggling at the plate recently, the Twins scored all of their runs in the final three innings of their 9-4 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. They had scored a total of 10 runs over their previous seven contests.
The Twins, who dropped two of three to the Blue Jays May 26-28 in Minneapolis, have won 12 of their past 15 games in Toronto.
Carlos Correa hit a grand slam and Max Kepler added a three-run blast when the Twins erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning on Saturday. The Blue Jays took a 3-0 lead into seventh when Minnesota’s Trevor Larnach hit a solo shot, an omen of things to come.
In 10 career games in Toronto, Correa is hitting .366 (15-for-41) with two doubles, four home runs, and 16 RBIs.
The home run on Saturday was his eighth of the season and his second career grand slam.
“We needed that (big inning) as a team,” Correa said. “We needed to put great at- bats together like that. We’ve been waiting for that for the past week. It came at the right time.”
The seven-run eighth started with Michael A. Taylor’s bunt hit followed by two more singles that loaded the bases with none out. Correa’s decisive home run came with one out against Toronto reliever Adam Cimber.
“It’s a bunt single and a broken-bat single, and things unraveled from there,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.
“That felt really good,” Correa said. “I’m not going to lie. Bases loaded, we’re down. To just turn the game upside down like that, it was a great one.”
The Twins are scheduled to start right-hander Louie Varland (3-2, 4.40 ERA) in the series finale. In his only career appearance against Toronto, he took the loss May 26 when he allowed three runs on seven hits and no walks in six innings. He had three strikeouts in the Twins’ 3-1 defeat.
The Blue Jays’ scheduled starter is right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-3, 2.63).
Gausman was the winning pitcher on May 26, allowing one run on four hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out eight. In 10 career starts against Minnesota, he is 1-4 with a 5.88 ERA.
Before the game Saturday, Minnesota placed infielder Jorge Polanco (left hamstring strain.) on the injured list. He had been reinstated from the IL on June 1 after missing 12 games with a hamstring issue.
Minnesota recalled infielder Edouard Julien from Triple-A St. Paul. Julien had a double, a single and a walk on Saturday. The native of Quebec City was playing his first career game in Toronto.
Toronto centre fielder Kevin Kiermaier (wrist) did not start for the second straight game on Saturday.
Toronto designated hitter Brandon Belt (left hamstring tightness) left the game after scoring a run in the third inning Saturday. Nathan Lukes batted for him in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly.
