Sports
Berríos shines as Twins blank Jays for 2nd straight night
By PAUL ATTFIELD Associated Press
May 07, 2019 07:08 PM
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Minnesota Twins’ Mitch Garver (18) high-fives teammate Eddie Rosario (20) after Garver hit a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Tuesday, May 7, 2019.
The Canadian Press via AP
Fred Thornhill
TORONTO
José Berríos allowed four hits in seven innings, Mitch Garver homered and the Minnesota Twins shut out the Toronto Blue Jays for the second straight night, 3-0 on Tuesday.
Berríos (6-1) won a career-best fifth consecutive start as the AL Central-leading Twins won for the eighth time in 11 games and moved a season-high 10 games over .500. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out five.
Trevor Hildenberger and Trevor May worked the eighth, and Taylor Rogers pitched the ninth to complete the six-hitter and earn his fourth save.
Garver shook off a cut on the neck from a broken bat and went 3-for-3. His two-run homer in the sixth off Aaron Sanchez (3-3) was his seventh this season, tying a career high.
On Monday night, it was Martín Pérez who blanked the Blue Jays over seven innings. Toronto has nine hits in the two games and was shut out for the fourth time this season, all at home.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled off Rogers in the ninth, the first career hit off a left-hander for the highly touted prospect, who has struggled over his first 11 games. Guerrero went 1-for-4.
Sanchez threw 31 pitches in the first but lasted a season-high seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six. He walked Marwin González with the bases loaded in the first. Then he settled in before Garver’s blast to the second deck in left-center field.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: Garver replaced C Jason Castro in the lineup after Castro was hit on the right elbow by a pitch Monday night. … RHP Addison Reed (left thumb) began his rehab assignment by working a scoreless inning for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, striking out one and walking one.
Blue Jays: INF Alen Hanson cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo. … Following a spell in extended spring training, OF Ben Revere was assigned to Buffalo.
CLOSE CALL
Already down a catcher, the Twins had a scare in the first inning when Garver was cut on the neck by the splintered end of Randal Grichuk’s broken bat. Garver was checked by medical staff and stayed in the game.
HOME-FIELD DISADVANTAGE
The Blue Jays dropped to 1-5-1 in home series.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson (2-1, 4.68 ERA), who’s 1-1 with a 7.56 ERA in three career starts in Toronto, starts in the conclusion of the three-game series.
Blue Jays: RHP Trent Thornton (0-3, 4.08) makes his eighth major league start. He has yet to earn a win.