05/28/23 04:13:00
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05/28 16:11 CDT Blue Jays beat Twins 3-0 on Berros' pitching, Kirk's hitting,
Varsho's fielding
Blue Jays beat Twins 3-0 on Berros' pitching, Kirk's hitting, Varsho's fielding
By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) --- Jos Berros pitched around a season-high five walks and
into the sixth inning for Toronto to beat his old team, and the Blue Jays
blanked the Minnesota Twins 3-0 on Sunday for their first series win in four
tries.
Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run single in the second inning that held up for
Berros (5-4), who has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last nine
turns after a rough start.
Daulton Varsho scored from first base on Kirk's hit and was solid in the
outfield, the day after he twice had a leaping catch attempt turn into a Twins
home run when those balls bounced off his glove and into the grass berm.
Filling in in center for Kevin Kiermaier, Varsho assisted on the third out of
the fourth inning when he fielded a single and threw out Alex Kirilloff trying
to go from first to third.
Then in the eighth, Varsho jumped above the center-field wall to take a homer
away from Carlos Correa.
Jordan Romano recorded his 12th save with a scoreless ninth, allowing a two-out
single to rookie Matt Wallner. He was 2 for 2 with two walks and has reached
base in eight straight plate appearances.
The Blue Jays (28-26), who are in last place in the AL East, improved to just
10-17 in their last 27 games.
With Alek Manoah struggling at the top of the rotation, the Blue Jays need
several more starts like this from Berros, who was traded by the Twins at the
deadline two years ago. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA in his last
five starts, four of them wins for Toronto.
Bailey Ober (3-2) finished six innings for Minnesota for the fourth time in
five May starts, allowing five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts. The
6-foot-9 right-hander took a bad-luck loss, though, on the two-out bloop to
shallow left-center by Kirk in the second.
The Twins (27-26) had their lead in the AL Central cut to one game over Detroit
(25-26). They've led the division for 58 of 60 days this season.
JULIEN'S LAPSES
Rookie Edouard Julien, a native of Quebec City, Canada, whose favorite boyhood
team was the Blue Jays, has four homers in 16 games. He hasn't been as sharp in
the field or on the bases while filling in at second for Jorge Polanco, who
became eligible to return from a strained left hamstring on Sunday.
Julien made a diving stop of Varsho's two-out single in the second, but he
dropped the ball before he could make the throw to first. The official scorer
ruled the play a hit.
In the bottom of the inning, the Twins had the bases loaded with none out ---
for a few seconds. Julien rounded second base way too far, perhaps forgetting
about the runner in front of him, and was thrown out by the catcher Kirk to
shortstop Bo Bichette.
ROYCE, READY TO ROLL?
The Twins lineup is on verge of a potential boost from the return of Royce
Lewis, the first overall pick in the 2017 draft whose major league debut last
year was limited to 12 games by a torn ACL in his right knee. Lewis, whose
shift from shortstop to third base was triggered by Correa's arrival, is
eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on Monday. That would be one
calendar year from the date of his injury.
"We laid out, a realistic, responsible timeline, and he's reached all the goals
that were set," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Kiermaier was on the bench after being removed from the game on
Saturday with discomfort in his right lower back.
Twins: RHP Emilio Pagn relieved Ober and was pulled with a strained left hip
flexor after one batter and seven pitches in the seventh.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (5-2, 4.56 ERA) starts on Tuesday night against
Milwaukee after a return home and a day off. RHP Adrian Houser (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
takes the mound for the Brewers.
Twins: RHP Sonny Gray (4-0, 1.82 ERA) pitches the opener of a three-game series
at Houston on Monday afternoon. RHP J.P France (1-1, 3.43 ERA) starts for the
Astros.
___
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