MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Dozier's seventh-inning triple drove in the tie-breaking run and gave the Minnesota Twins a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Target Field on Saturday. Following a leadoff single by center fielder Aaron Hicks, Dozier followed two batters later with a deep drive that barely eluded Jays right fielder Ezequiel Carrera in the right center field gap. Twins right-hander Ryan Pressly earned the win in relief of starter Kyle Gibson, pitching a 1-2-3 seventh inning before Dozier's heroics. Gibson wiggled out of several early jams, coaxing a double play in each of the first three innings.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases against Gibson with out one out in the third inning, but catcher Russell Martin hit a soft grounder back to the mound, where Gibson started a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat. Minnesota grabbed the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by catcher Chris Herrmann over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar tied the score in the fourth with a solo home run to left before the Twins re-took the lead in the bottom of the inning, getting back-to-back doubles from first baseman Joe Mauer and third baseman Trevor Plouffe for a 2-1 lead. Martin and left fielder Chris Colabello led off the sixth with consecutive singles against Gibson and Martin scored on a throwing error by Herrmann on a sacrifice bunt. But with runners on second and third with nobody out, Gibson got a strikeout and an infield pop up, and left-hander Brian Duensing got Jays shortstop Jose Reyes to strikeout swinging, limiting the damage. Gibson allowed one earned run in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out three. Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup took the loss, giving up the winning run on two hits in one inning of relief. Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez did not figure into the decision after allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings. NOTES: Blue Jays INF Devon Travis did not play in a scheduled rehabilitation game Saturday with Triple-A. Travis had soreness in his injured left shoulder, which put him on the disabled list on May 17. ... Twins C Kurt Suzuki did not play (rest). ... Twins RF Torii Hunter did not play (rest). ... The Blue Jays and Twins will wrap up their three-game series at Target Field on Sunday. Toronto's Drew Hutchinson (4-1, 5.12 ERA) will oppose Minnesota's Ricky Nolasco (5-1, 5.12 ERA).
