Minneapolis, MN – Adam Lind launched a pair of three-run homers as the Toronto Blue Jays routed the Minnesota Twins, 11-2, on Saturday in the middle test of a three-game set at Target Field.
Lind's first homer sparked Toronto's five-run first inning, while his second came in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the Blue Jays' fourth win in their last five games.
"Adam's always been a good player for this organization," manager John Gibbons said. "I don't know how the team will stack up next year. But I don't think he needs to audition. He's proven himself over time."
Munenori Kawasaki knocked in two runs and Brett Lawrie collected three hits, including a solo homer, to provide more than enough run support for J.A. Happ (4-5), who scattered five hits and three walks while allowing just an unearned run over 5 2/3 frames.
Oswaldo Arcia and Josmil Pinto each knocked in a run for the Twins, who have lost three straight games.
Kevin Correia (9-11) pitched well after his shaky first inning, but was charged for five runs on seven hits over six innings to absorb the loss.
"They jumped on pitches early," Correia said. "It was pretty quick. Usually, I can make adjustments, but they just caught me. There were a handful of guys I hadn't faced, and so it was kind of a guessing game early. They jumped on a few pitches and took advantage in the first."
The Jays jumped on Correia in the first, as Kawasaki smacked a one-out single and Edwin Encarnacion walked before Lind scorched a 3-2 slider over the center-field wall to make it 3-0.
Correia's next pitch also left the yard, as Lawrie laced a first-pitch fastball deep into the left-field seats for a 4-0 lead.
Moises Sierra then stroked a double to center and scored on J.P. Arencibia's single to right to give the Blue Jays a 5-0 cushion.
Arcia's two-out, run-scoring single in the fourth got the Twins on the board, but Kawasaki stroked a two-run single in the seventh to extend Toronto's lead to 7-1.
Anthony Gose's RBI triple in the eighth made it 8-1 before Pinto ripped a run-scoring single to left in the home half.
Lind's blast in the ninth, which came after an intentional walk to Encarnacion, put the game away for the Jays.
Game Notes
Minnesota went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base ... Lawrie was charged for his 10th error of the season ... Lind now has 19 homers on the season.
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