The Toronto Blue Jays were firing on all cylinders as they took game two of their series by a final score of 15-0 against the Minnesota Twins. The Blue Jays set season highs in both runs (15) and hits (23) on Saturday night.
Jose Berrios (13-9, 3.72) was on the bump for the Blue Jays, while rookie Zebby Matthews (1-1, 3.00) took the mound for the Twins. Both starters had polar opposite nights compared to each other.
Matthews got a real taste of what it’s like to be a big leaguer, as he had the first bad start of his career. Matthews got lit up, lasting just 2 innings, allowing nine runs on 10 hits, walking none and striking out five to receive the second loss of the year. Berrios, on the other hand, was dominant. The veteran right-hander tossed 6 innings, allowing no runs, three hits, one walk and five strikeouts to take his 14th victory of the year, tying his season-high mark in 2017.
The scoring started early and quickly, with the Blue Jays scoring seven runs in the 1st inning. George Springer led off the game with a hit-by-pitch, then Daulton Varsho took Matthews deep to give the Blue Jays an early 2-0 lead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then reached with a single, only to be followed up by the second two-run homer of the game and the inning, when the blast by Spencer Horwitz doubled Toronto’s lead to 4-0. Later in the 1st, an RBI double from the recently recalled Nathan Lukes gave the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead. Then, a two RBI single from Leo Jimenez extended the Blue Jays’ lead to 7-0.
The Jays only continued their onslaught with more runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Another two-run shot, this time from Addison Barger gave the Blue Jays their third homer of the game and a 9-0 lead in the 2nd. In the 3rd, Guerrero Jr. and Horwitz drove in runs with RBI singles to extend the Toronto lead to 11-0.
Rookie sensation Will Wagner then led off the 6th inning with a solo homer to extend the Blue Jays’ lead to 12-0.
In the 8th, an RBI triple from Lukes and an RBI single from Jimenez drove in Toronto’s 13th and 14th runs.
An RBI double from Wagner in the top of the 9th would give the Blue Jays their 15th and final run of the ball game to cap off a big win in Minneapolis. Wagner had an incredible day, going 5 for 6 and becoming the first rookie in Blue Jays history to record five hits in a single game.
Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.82) will look to bounce back from a series of bad starts as he looks for his first victory since July 6, as he will toe the rubber for the Blue Jays on Sunday for the series finale. Opposing him will be Bailey Ober (12-6, 4.06) who will take the ball for the Twins as he looks to rebound after giving up nine runs in his last start against the Atlanta Braves.
