Addison Barger hit a go-ahead two-run double in a three-run eighth on Wednesday night and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Minnesota Twins 9-8.
Davis Schneider hit two homers and Andres Gimenez and Ty France also homered for the Blue Jays in the rubber match of the three-game series.
Minnesota’s Genesis Cabrera allowed a home run to pinch-hitter France, a former Twin, in the eighth. Pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk singled. Michael Tonkin (2-1) replaced Cabrera and walked Springer. Barger followed with a double to right center to give Toronto the lead.
Byron Buxton hit two home runs and Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee added one each for the Twins, who finished their road trip 2-4.
Eric Lauer gave up Buxton’s homer to center to open the game.
Simeon Woods Richardson allowed Schneider’s homer to left in the second.
Buxton and Keaschall homered in the third.
Toronto tied the game in the bottom of the third when Bo Bichette flared a two-out bases-loaded single to left that extended his hit streak to 12 games.
Minnesota regained the lead in the fourth, aided by two Toronto errors. Austin Martin singled with two out. He slid home safely on Edouard Julien’s double to left center. Julien continued to third on the throw home and scored on catcher Tyler Heineman’s errant throw. Buxton reached second on Bichette’s throwing error on a grounder to shortstop and scored on Ryan Jeffers’s single.
Toronto countered with homers by Schneider and Gimenez in the home fourth. Thomas Hatch replaced Woods Richardson, who allowed five runs, five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Minnesota added two runs in the fifth. Lee homered with two out. Kody Clemens followed with a single and Tommy Nance replaced Lauer. Clemens stole second and scored on Royce Lewis’s single. Lauer allowed eight runs, six earned, 10 hits and no walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Toronto scored once in the sixth, started by Schneider’s leadoff walk. Kody Funderburk replaced Hatch and allowed Nathan Lukes’s single.
Keaschall misplayed Gimenez’s chopper to second which turned into an RBI double.
Toronto’s Seranthony Dominguez (3-4) got the win after surviving two walks and a wild pitch in the eighth.
Jeff Hoffman overcame Keaschall’s two-out double in the ninth to earn his 29th save.
