Donaldson hits 3 homers as Blue Jays sweep Twins
TORONTO -- Josh Donaldson hit three home runs and Troy Tulowitzki added one as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 9-6 on Sunday afternoon to complete a sweep of the three-game series.
Donaldson's second homer of the game was a two-run shot that put Toronto into a 6-5 lead during the four-run seventh. His home run in the eighth gave him the first three-homer game of his career.
It was the 10th loss in a row for the Twins (49-81) while the Blue Jays (74-56), who overcame a 5-1 disadvantage Sunday, remain at the top of the American League East.
Toronto reliever Scott Feldman (7-4) pitched two-thirds of an inning to pick up the win.
Twins reliever Pat Light (0-1) allowed three hits and three runs over 1 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Twins starter Kyle Gibson allowed eight hits, three walks and four runs while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.
Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey allowed six hits, three walks and five runs (three earned) in six innings. He struck out five.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the first inning on Edwin Encarnacion's sacrifice fly. It scored Jose Bautista, who led off the inning with a double on a drive deep to left center that left fielder Robbie Grossman appeared to have caught until the ball was jarred loose when he collided with center fielder Danny Santana. Bautista took third when Donaldson flied out to center.
Eddie Rosario took over in center field for the Twins in the second inning. Santana left with a sprained left shoulder.
The Twins tied the game with an unearned run in the third. Rosario singled with one out. He was safe at second when on Donaldson's throwing error on a forceout attempt on Brian Dozier's grounder. Joe Mauer walked to fill the bases. The run scored when Max Kepler's grounder deflected off Dickey's foot to second baseman Devon Travis, who got the forceout at second.
Donaldson's first homer of the game in the bottom of the third gave Toronto a 2-1 lead.
The Twins led 5-2 after a four-run fifth. Rosario singled with one out. The bases were loaded after Dozier and Mauer walked. Rosario scored when Dickey got the out at first on Kepler's high chop. Trevor Plouffe hit an RBI single and took second on a passed ball. Miguel Sano hit a two-run single.
The Blue Jays pulled to within one run with a two-run sixth. Tulowitzki led off with his 22nd homer of the season. Kevin Pillar doubled and scored on a single by Travis.
Bautista led off with bottom of the seventh with a single against Light, his third hit of the game, and Donaldson hit his second homer of the game to center to give Toronto the lead. It was his fourth multi-homer game of the season and the 10th of his career.
After a two-out single by Tulowitzki, J.T. Chargois replaced Light and walked Pillar allowed Melvin Upton Jr.'s two-run double.
Donaldson hit his 33rd homer of the season and the third of the game with two out in the eighth against Alex Wimmers.
Jason Grilli pitched around a walk in the top of the eighth. Roberto Osuna allowed one run on Dozier's double and Mauer's single in the top of the ninth.
NOTES: Toronto RHP Aaron Sanchez, who was optioned to Class A Dunedin to control his innings, will rejoin the Blue Jays on Wednesday and will start the third game of the series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. ... Blue Jays C Russell Martin, who was given Saturday off, returned to the lineup as DH on Sunday with C Josh Thole behind the plate for RHP R.A. Dickey, a knuckleballer. ... Twins LHP Hector Santiago (10-8, 5.16 ERA) will return to the rotation Monday to face Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (9-6, 3.88 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland. Santiago missed his last turn with a bruised thumb. ... Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (7-6, 3.47 ERA) opposes Orioles LHP Wade Miley (8-10, 5.51 ERA) Monday at Baltimore.