Twins lose second in a row to Blue Jays as bullpen falters late

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jun 7, 2025

Published in Baseball

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MINNEAPOLIS — Griffin Jax left an elevated changeup to Toronto Blue Jay designated hitter George Springer in the eighth inning Saturday, and he started talking to himself as soon as Springer hit the ball.

Twins left fielder Willi Castro raced the base of the wall, timed his jump, but the ball dropped a few rows into the seats for a go-ahead, two-run homer. As soon as the ball landed, Springer let out a yell as he prepared to round first base.

It was the first homer Jax gave up in more than a month, and it was the difference in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays at Target Field in front of 23,476 fans. The Twins have dropped three straight games, their longest losing streak since May 2.

Jax was charged with his fourth loss of the season, one shy of his total last year, but the Twins offense squandered a chance to give him some breathing room.

In the seventh inning, the Twins loaded the bases with two outs against reliever Chad Green through a pair of singles and a walk. Carlos Correa, arriving at the plate to loud cheers from the crowd of 23,476, flew out to right field. Correa is hitless in seven at-bats with the bases loaded this season.

Addison Barger, the Blue Jays right fielder, opened the eighth inning with a double off Jax. Springer, the next batter, clubbed his 10th home run of the season. It was the first homer, and just the second extra-base hit, Jax surrendered on his changeup this year.

The Blue Jays added a run in the ninth inning against Jhoan Duran on a two-out RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before Kody Clemens hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Twins entered Saturday with a 28-2 record when leading after seven innings.

Matt Wallner gave the Twins a one-run lead with a solo homer off Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman in the sixth inning, looping a high fastball over the right-field wall. Wallner has three homers in six games since returning from a six-week stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

The Twins’ loss spoiled a strong effort from Chris Paddack, who survived a 28-pitch first inning to complete six solid innings. Paddack allowed a walk and two hits in the first inning, including a two-out RBI single to Nathan Lukes, and he gave up a solo homer to catcher Tyler Heineman, the No. 9 batter in Toronto’s lineup, in the second inning.

Paddack owns a 2.25 ERA across his last 11 starts, giving up two or fewer runs in each of his last six outings. Facing a Blue Jays lineup that has won nine of their last 10 games, Paddack retired 13 of his final 15 batters.

The Twins entered their series against Toronto with a 30-4 record when they scored at least four runs, but now they’ve dropped back-to-back games when they scored exactly four.

After Gausman cruised through the first three innings, yielding one walk, no hits and zero balls out of the infield, there was some self-inflicted damage during a 29-pitch fourth inning. Ryan Jeffers and Correa produced a pair of one-out singles, hard-hit line drives to left field, and Gausman had trouble with the strike zone.

Gausman walked Wallner to load the bases, upset he didn’t receive a strike call from plate umpire Chad Whitson on a full-count splitter, which prompted Blue Jays manager John Schneider to storm out of the dugout for a brief argument with Whitson.

Three pitches after Wallner’s walk, in a 0-2 count, Gausman plunked Ty France on the elbow with an up-and-in fastball to bring in a run. Royce Lewis, the next batter, drew a bases-loaded walk after he started his plate appearance with a 3-0 count.

Clemens grounded into an inning-ending double play after Gausman basically gift-wrapped the Twins two runs.

Gausman gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in six innings. It was one of Gausman’s better career starts against the Twins. He entered Saturday with a 1-5 record and a 6.61 ERA in 13 outings when he faced them. Those numbers don’t include Game 1 of the 2023 wild-card series when he allowed two homers to Lewis as the Twins ended their 18-game postseason losing streak.

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