Lee and Vázquez go back to back to power Twins past Blue Jays 6-3 and avoid series sweep
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brooks Lee and Christian Vázquez hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Sunday to avoid a sweep and snap a three-game skid.
Minnesota trailed 3-2 when Lee led off against Bowden Francis with his fifth homer. Vázquez followed with his second and the Twins were never behind again.
Joe Ryan (7-2) allowed three runs — two earned — and four hits in five innings to help the Twins end the Blue Jays' four-game winning streak. Brock Stewart, Cole Sands and Griffin Jax all followed with a scoreless inning. Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 11 opportunities.
Alan Roden doubled in a run in the second inning to give Toronto the lead, but Minnesota answered in its half with an RBI groundout from Vázquez and Trevor Larnach's sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead.
Alejandro Kirk had an RBI single and George Springer doubled in a run to put Toronto ahead 3-2 in the third.
Mason Fluharty, who got the final two outs in the fourth, left with two on and one out in the fifth in favor of Erik Swanson. Ty France greeted Swanson with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead and Lee walked to load the bases. Swanson struck out Vázquez looking before Byron Buxton walked to set the final margin.
Francis (2-8) allowed four runs and five hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Fluharty gave up two runs in an inning.
Toronto (35-30) was trying for its first sweep against Minnesota (35-30) at Target Field since 2013.
Key moment
Vázquez's shot to left after Lee hit one out to right gave the Twins back-to-back home runs for the second time this season and the first time at home.
Key stat
The Twins have walked 164 batters — fewest in the majors and 31 less than the Blue Jays, who walked eight in the finale.
Up next
The Blue Jays hadn't announced a starter for the first of three in St. Louis beginning Monday. The Cardinals will start RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.91).
The Twins will host the Rangers for three games beginning Tuesday. Neither team announced a starter.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
23 minutes ago
- USA Today
MLB games today: Schedule, times, how to watch for June 11
MLB games today: Schedule, times, how to watch for June 11 Show Caption Hide Caption With the Dodgers favored to repeat, is the MLB becoming too top-heavy? Bob Nightengale and Gabe Lacques discuss whether or not the MLB is lacking parity and could be facing a potential problem in the future. Sports Seriously Here is the full Major League Baseball schedule for June 11 and how to watch all the games. Or see our sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division. MLB schedule today All times Eastern and accurate as of Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 4:41 a.m. Watch MLB games all season long with Fubo (free trial). MLB scores, results MLB scores for June 11 games are available on Here's how to access today's results: See scores, results for all the games listed above. See MLB Scores, results from June 10


Washington Post
43 minutes ago
- Washington Post
What to know about the 2026 World Cup one year out
The World Cup kicks off one year from now and will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The 23rd edition of soccer's most prestigious tournament, which has been running since 1930, will be the biggest yet with 48 teams taking part. Here's what to know about the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Timberwolves Commit To Finch After Knicks Interest
The Timberwolves Commit To Finch After Knicks Interest originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Following numerous reports of the New York Knicks' interest in Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, they followed the necessary steps to make a formal approach. Advertisement The Knicks are seeking a new coach after parting ways with former head coach Tom Thibodeau. That came after the Eastern Conference Finals when they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Minnesota wants to maintain most of what has worked over the past few seasons. They have a superstar in Anthony Edwards, who is still improving as he looks to reach the pinnacle of basketball. The other important figure is Finch, who has been a constant since 2021. He and Edwards form the foundation of this team, and everyone is focused on the Timberwolves. Related: Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About How Chris Finch Has Links With The Knicks The Timberwolves Are Standing With Finch As The Coach Despite the allure of coaching the New York Knicks, that won't be in the cards for Finch. The Timberwolves refused when the Knicks requested to speak to the coach, so that means the organization is fully behind Finch. Advertisement That is a good sign for the Timberwolves because they have a strong system that supports their head coach. Finch should be pleased with the news because he looks happy to be in Minnesota with a group of players who respects him. Finch is not the only head coach that the Knicks did this because they also looked into getting Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka. It is an admirable job for the Knicks, but they must work elsewhere. Jason Kidd is heavily rumored, but the Dallas Mavericks are expected to deny the Knicks if they send in a request to interviewing him for the position vacated by Thibodeau. The Commitment To Finch Is A Good Sign For Minnesota With a good future set for the Timberwolves with Finch at the helm, the team is in good hands. He has been excellent with how he has lifted the Timberwolves from being a laughingstock to being one of the top four teams left in the league. The Timberwolves are focused on success at the highest level, especially in the competitive Western Conference. If they maintain this development well, Minnesota could become even better than the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement Finch being the head coach means the players will be comfortable and ready for the next few seasons with Finch at the helm. The future is bright, and it will be challenging to keep the Timberwolves away from knocking on the door of the NBA Finals with their constant success in recent years. Related: Ant Edwards Recalls How Finch Lit A Fire Under Timberwolves This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.