Key Takeaways:
- Thanks to a sacrifice fly by Cavan Biggio in the 10th inning and a run scored by Whit Merrifield when a call was overturned, they evened the four-game series.
- For the eighth time in his career and third time this year, Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli was sent off for contesting the call.
On Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-2. They evened the four-game series thanks to a sacrifice drive by Cavan Biggio in the 10th inning and a run scored by Whit Merrifield after a call was reversed.
Merrifield was first ruled out at the plate, but the decision was overturned when it was determined that Twins catcher Gary Sanchez had interfered with Merrifield.
The Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected for disputing the call, the eighth time in his career as well as the third time this season. Baldelli opined, “I think what just transpired was pitiful. “It’s one of the most harmful moments of umpiring. I think I’ve ever seen in a baseball game,” the commentator said.
When Merrifield’s right foot contacted Sanchez’s left leg as he slid into home plate, replay officials determined that Sanchez had not created a clear path for Merrifield. The inning would have ended after the out.
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Merrifield remarked, “I had a sense there was going to be a play at the plate. “After taking a few steps with my head down, I looked up to calculate how to obtain into home plate and also saw Gary straddling the plate. I did my best to slide into him directly. I was wondering whether they would call it because I know the rule.
According to Sanchez, he did indeed leave a route.
“He moved closer to me. Sanchez said, “I’m simply tagging him. I got the ball first. I believe there was room in the queue for him to move to the side. He refused. The play was clean.
Tampa Bay continues to trail Toronto by two games for the American League’s top wild card. After Cleveland’s victory, Minnesota’s lead in the AL Central was cut to one game.
The Blue Jays suppressed a late Twins rally after scoring two runs in the opening frame. Jose Miranda scored Minnesota’s first run with an RBI single in the eighth inning, giving him at least one RBI in four straight games. With an RBI single in the 9th inning, Luis Arraez knotted the score.
Kevin Gausman, starting pitcher for the Blue Jays, threw six innings without allowing a run while striking out five. Over his last two starts, he pitched 14 innings without allowing a run.
Manager John Schneider of Toronto remarked, “He was lights out.”
Jordan Romano (4-3) finished off the Twins in the 10th with a 1-2-3 inning after blowing the save chance in the ninth.
Chris Archer, the starting pitcher for Minnesota, went five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four strikeouts. Only four times this season has Archer started a game for five innings.
In the second and third innings, Toronto scored quickly on back-to-back hits. Bo Bichette’s double allowed Teoscar Hernandez to score after he had opened the second inning with a single. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled in an RBI after Biggio doubled to begin the third inning.
For the Twins, Caleb Thielbar (2-1) pitched the tenth inning and allowed the Biggio sacrifice to fly.
With a 1 for 4 performance, Vladamir Guerrero Jr. increased his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. It’s the Major League Baseball player with the longest active hitting streak.
Source: Global News
