Hernandez game winning hit helps Blue Jays overpower Twins

Teoscar Hernandez broke a 4-4 tie with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the seventh inning and then combined to throw out the potential game-tying run for the final out of the game as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays held on for a 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night in Minneapolis.

It was the second straight game that Hernandez had the game-winning hit for the Blue Jays after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning on Monday night to rally Toronto to a 5-3 victory. He also hit cutoff man Freddy Galvis after a double down the left field line by Byron Buxton, and Galvis then threw out C.J. Cron trying to score from first to end the game.

Eric Sogard went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Justin Smoak had a two-run single for the Blue Jays, who have won back-to-back games for just the second time this season. Aaron Sanchez (2-1) picked up the win for the Blue Jays, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out five. Ken Giles picked up his fifth save.

Eddie Rosario, Jorge Polanco and Marwin Gonzalez homered for Minnesota, which suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season. Trevor May (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on a hit and two walks. Polanco gave the Twins a 1-0 lead in the third inning with his third home run of the season, a towering 412-foot drive down the right-field line that landed in the plaza behind the bleachers.

The Blue Jays, who managed just one hit in the first five innings against Twins starter Kyle Gibson, had five hits and a walk during a four-run sixth inning to take a 4-1 lead. Smoak had a bases-loaded single to drive in Danny Jansen, who opened the inning with a single, and Sogard, who slammed a double high off the right-field wall. One out later, Rowdy Tellez and Alen Hanson added back-to-back RBI singles.

The Twins came right back to tie it in the bottom half of the inning on Rosario's fourth homer of the season, a 421-foot blast into the upper deck in right-centre. The shot drove in Max Kepler and Polanco, who opened the inning with back-to-back walks. Hernandez then put Toronto ahead 6-4 with a two-run, bases-loaded single off reliever Trevor Hildenberger in the seventh.

Gonzalez cut it to 6-5 when he led off the ninth with his first home run of the season, a 437-foot drive to centre. Nelson Cruz walked and Cron followed with a fielder's choice. After Giles struck out Mitch Garver, Buxton lined a double down the left-field line but Cron was thrown out at the plate to end the game.

(With inputs from agencies.)