Game #100 Minnesota Twins (46-53) @ Toronto Blue Jays (46-54) - game recap

Eduardo Escobar hit a huge 3-run home run as the Twins shut out the Blue Jays 5-0

After a tough 8-3 loss last night where the bullpen was beat up to the tune of 8 runs on 13 hits and a pair of walks, the Blue Jays turned to rookie Ryan Borucki who has looked good in his initial 4 starts of his career facing 3 of the best lineups in the MLB in the NY Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros. Tonight, he faced a slightly inferior lineup in comparisons to the three juggernauts listed above. Could he pitch deep into the game and save the bullpen? Here is tonight's game recap.

Game Highlights

• The Twins opened the scoring in the top of the 6th as Joe Mauer scored on a sac fly by Brian Dozier
• Two batters later, Robbie Grossman doubled home Eduardo Escobar
• Ryan Borucki pitching line: 6IP 6H 2R (none earned) 0BB 2K 89 pitches (62 for strikes)
• Jose Berrios pitching line: 7IP 4H 0R 1BB 9K 102 pitches (65 for strikes)
• The Twins added three more in the top of the 8th on a three-run HR by Escobar; also scoring Mauer and Eddie Rosario
• Final Score: Twins 5 Blue Jays 0

My Take

• key play in the top of the 5th: Twins RF Taylor Motter stole second base after initially being called out on the play. Replays showed the Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tagged Motter after he reached the bag. The play put a runner on second with one out. Luckily, Borucki retired the next two batters to escape the inning unscathed.
• Ryan Borucki was excellent tonight pitching 6 strong innings of 6 hit ball. The two runs scored against him were not earned thanks to a massive miscue by Teoscar Hernandez dropped a fly ball a single A player should have caught. That is the third misplayed ball by Hernandez in two games.
• Poor decision by John Gibbonds sending John Axford out for a second inning of work, although he only threw seven pitches in his first inning of work. As soon as Axford looked to be struggling to find the strike zone at the start of the 8th, Gibbons should have had Loup up and throwing.
• Unfortunately, the Blue Jays offence was inept again today, just 6 base runners total the whole game and just one after the 4th inning (a Devon Travis single in the 8th that was erased by a Curtis Granderson double play). The Blue Jays biggest threat to score was in the 2nd when they had runners on first and third with one out, but both Russell Martin and Randal Grichuk went down swinging. 
• Too many swings at bad pitches. Yangervis Solarte swung at at least three pitches that would have been balls.
• Up next, the Blue Jays try to salvage a win and earn a split in the season series as Twins righty Ervin Santana makes his season debut after finger surgery just prior to spring training. The Blue Jays will counter with Sam Gaviglio.