Blue Jays edge Twins

Toronto, ON – Kelly Johnson hit a two-run homer and Yunel Escobar and Rajai Davis each drove in a run as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Minnesota Twins, 4-3, in the middle test of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

Chad Jenkins (1-3) earned his first major league win after giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over five-plus innings.

Casey Janssen stranded a runner in the ninth to earn his 22nd save of the season.

"I don't think anyone wants to coast to the finish line, whether it is pride, or if its whatever motivates you. I feel like we owe it to everyone to give it everything we got," Janssen said.

Denard Span went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and Alexi Casilla added an RBI double for the Twins, who have dropped four straight.

Anthony Swarzak (3-6) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and three walks over five innings.

Toronto took a 1-0 lead in the third when Davis singled to center field to score Adeiny Hechavarria. Hechavarria opened the inning with a double into the left-field corner and advanced to third on a Moises Sierra ground out before coming around on Davis' base hit.

Kelly Johnson ripped a two-run homer in the fourth and Escobar stroked an RBI base hit in the fifth to extend Toronto's spread to 4-0.

Span's two-run shot in the sixth inning cut the Twins' deficit to 4-2, and Minnesota added one more in the seventh when Casilla doubled to right field to score Trevor Plouffe, who opened the frame with a double of his own.

"He threw me a fastball in and I just reacted and put a good swing on it. That was pretty much of the gist of it. It was good to get us on the board that way," Span said.

But Darren Oliver worked a scoreless eighth and Janssen worked around a two- out single in the ninth to close out the game.

Game Notes

Toronto has won six of its last nine, but dropped 14 of its last 21 overall ... Hechavarria has recorded at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games ... Minnesota is 25-69 when its opponent scores first.