Grichuk, Smoak, Hernandez hit HRs, Blue Jays top Twins 7-4

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MINNEAPOLIS – The Toronto Blue Jays are finding their swing – and wins are following.

Randal Grichuk, Justin Smoak and Teoscar Hernandez hit home runs and the Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 7-4 Thursday.

Eric Sogard added a three-run double for Toronto, who took three of four at Target Field.

“Not only are we scoring ... but we’re getting some loud outs,” Grichuk said. “Early on we kind of had some quick at-bats, balls put in play or strikeouts quick. Now we’re battling, putting together good at-bats, swing at good pitches.”

Toronto is hitting .217 this season, 12th in the American League; since April 9, however, the Blue Jays are hitting .256 in winning five of nine.

“We score seven runs today they all swinging the bat pretty good right now,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “Now if Sogard stays hot, you’ve got Sogard and (Freddy) Galvis getting on base for those three guys. That’s a good combination.”

That trio would be Grichuk, Smoak and Hernandez, the team’s 3-4-5 hitters.

Smoak hit a no-doubt, two-run shot and Sogard added a bases-clearing double as part of a five-run fourth that put the Blue Jays ahead 6-3. Smoak has reached base in 19 of his last 35 plate appearances, and Sogard, called up Monday, was 6 for 12 in the series.

Grichuk hit a solo home run in the first and Hernandez had a solo drive in the eighth. Hernandez was 6 for 15 with two home runs in the series.

Struggling with his cutter, starter Clay Buchholz allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2-3 innings before Thomas Pannone, Ryan Tepera, Tim Mayza and Joe Biagini (1-1) combined to allow one run in 3 1-3 innings. Ken Giles earned his sixth save in seven chances with a scoreless ninth.

The Toronto bullpen allowed two runs in 13 2-3 innings during the series.

Eddie Rosario homered twice for the Twins, against a right- and left-handed pitcher.

“Some of the stuff he does you go, ‘Wow. That’s pretty impressive,’” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “To come in facing the lefty (Mayza) and put a swing on that first pitch, people just don’t do that because it’s borderline impossible. You just don’t see things like that. But he does things that other people don’t do or can’t do.”

Michael Pineda (2-1) had his worst start of the season, allowing six earned runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out one batter, threw a wild pitch and allowed two home runs to equal his combined total from his first three starts.

Rosario homered and Willians Astudillo and Jonathan Schoop both ended 0-for-15 stretches with singles in a three-run second inning for the Twins.

Ryne Harper tossed 3 1-3 innings of scoreless relief for Minnesota.

STILL STEALING

With a second-inning swipe, Minnesota’s Byron Buxton extended his team record for consecutive stolen bases to 33. His last time caught stealing was May 23, 2017, at Baltimore. Vince Coleman holds the MLB-record with 50 consecutive stolen bases in 1988-89.

VLAD WATCH

After missing most of spring training because of a strained left oblique muscle, prized Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had his playing time with Triple-A Buffalo cut into by rainy April weather.

Guerrero hit a towering home run for the Bisons on Wednesday, giving him two homers, seven hits and six RBIs in just 17 at-bats. Though Guerrero’s promotion appears to be close, assistant general manager Joe Sheehan said this week that the team is still evaluating when to make the move.

Montoyo added no clarity, saying, “It could be any day; it could be a month.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Tepera (elbow inflammation) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list. To make room, Toronto designated RHP Javy Guerra for assignment.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: Start a three-game series in Oakland on Friday with RHP Marcus Stroman (0-3, 1.99) to face the A’s RHP Aaron Brooks (2-1, 4.24).

Twins: A six-game road trip starts Friday in Baltimore with RHP Jose Berrios (2-1, 2.30) scheduled to face Orioles RHP Alex Cobb (0-0. 3.18). Berrios has allowed seven earned runs in 27 1.3 innings.

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Patrick Corbin took a one-hitter into the eighth inning in his first victory with Washington, Wilmer Difo homered and the Nationals beat the punchless San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Thursday.

Signed to a $140 million, six-year contract in December after pitching for six seasons in Arizona, Corbin started three games without a decision with his new team before throwing a gem in the deciding matchup of a three-game series.

Corbin (1-0) struck out nine, walked one and a hit a batter over 7 2/3 innings against a struggling San Francisco offense that came in with a .208 average. The lone hits against the lefty were Evan Longoria’s fifth-inning double and Erik Kratz’s two-out RBI double in the eighth.

After Kratz broke up the shutout, Kyle Barraclough entered and retired pinch-hitter Buster Posey. Sean Doolittle worked the ninth, giving up three hits and a run while earning his second save.

San Francisco starter Drew Pomeranz (0-2) gave up four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

After the Giants went down in order to start the game, Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-out RBI double in the bottom half for a 1-0 lead. In the third, Anthony Rendon extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games with a two-out double and scored on a double by Juan Soto. Difo hit a solo shot in the fourth, and Pomeranz was lifted after issuing a bases-loaded walk in the fifth.

• Diamondbacks 4, Braves 1

ATLANTA – Christian Walker continued his remarkable late-innings production with a two-run homer in the seventh, Luke Weaver got Arizona off to a good start and the Diamondbacks beat Atlanta to complete a three-game sweep.

Walker lined the opposite-field homer to right-center off Chad Sobotka (0-1) following a single by Adam Jones. It was Walker’s sixth homer — all in the seventh inning or later. He added a double in the ninth.

Weaver (1-1) struck out nine in five scoreless innings, fanning the last five batters he faced. He allowed four hits.

The Diamondbacks have won four straight, including their first sweep of the Braves since 2016.

Arizona led 4-0 before Freddie Freeman led off the eighth with a homer against Matt Andriese.

Yoshihisa Hirano, who earned the win in the opening game of the series, gave up a one-out single to Ender Inciarte in the ninth. Hirano struck out pinch-hitter Josh Donaldson and ended the game on Ozzie Albies’ flyball for his first save.

• Tigers 9, White Sox 7

DETROIT – Nicholas Castellanos had three hits and drove in a pair of runs and Detroit beat Chicago to end a five-game losing streak.

Grayson Greiner had a career-high three hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Miguel Cabrera, playing on his 36th birthday, also drove in a pair of runs to help Detroit set season highs for runs and hits (14).

With the score tied at 7, Greiner led off the eighth with a single and moved up when Carson Fulmer (0-1) hit both JaCoby Jones and Josh Harrison with pitches. Castellanos and Cabrera put the Tigers ahead with back-to-back sacrifice flies.

Drew VerHagen (1-0) picked up the win after recording the last out of the eighth inning. Shane Greene pitched the ninth for his ninth save in nine attempts.

• Royals 6, Yankees 1

NEW YORK – Homer Bailey won consecutive starts for the first time since July 2017, holding New York to three hits over six innings for Kansas City.

Jorge Soler and Ryan O’Hearn hit solo home runs off Domingo Germán (3-1), and the Royals won their second straight after starting the season 5-12, including 0-5 on the road.

Bailey (2-1) allowed a tying run to the Yankees on Gleyber Torres’ first-inning sacrifice fly, then gave up just one more hit. Bailey, who struck out six and walked one, had not won back-to-back starts since July 4, 2017, at Colorado and five days later at Arizona.

Richard Lovelady got five outs, and former Yankee Ian Kennedy finished. New York was limited to four singles, including a pair by Clint Frazier in the fourth and ninth innings.

• Dodgers 3, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE – Cody Bellinger hit his 10th home run, Max Muncy hit a two-run shot, and Julio Urias struck out a career-high nine and allowed one hit in six strong innings as Los Angeles extended its winning streak to five games with a win over Milwaukee.

Bellinger drove a 3-2 pitch from reliever Matt Albers (1-1) into the Dodgers’ bullpen in right center in the sixth inning. Muncy followed with a homer that landed in the netting above the Brewers’ bullpen in left.

That was all the offense Urias (1-1) needed.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his sixth save, despite Christian Yelich hitting his 10th home run.

Milwaukee starter Zach Davies allowed three hits over five innings, with three walks and two strikeouts.

• Orioles 6, Rays 5, 11 innings

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Joey Rickard drove in the winning run in the 11th inning with an RBI double, his fourth hit of the game, to lift Baltimore over Tampa Bay.

Rickard doubled off Diego Castillo (0-1) after two-out singles by Chris Davis and Rio Ruiz kept the inning alive for Baltimore.

John Means (2-2) got the win with two innings of relief for the Orioles, who snapped a six-game losing streak against Tampa Bay. Trey Mancini had three hits and Pedro Severino homered for the Orioles.

Tommy Pham had four hits, included his third home run of the season for the Rays, but was picked off while trying to steal third base with the score tied in the ninth after Avisaíl Garcia homered off Mychal Givens.

The Rays lost for just the second time in their last 10 games.

• Rockies 6, Phillies 2

DENVER (AP) — Ryan McMahon homered twice and had five RBIs in his return to the lineup and Kyle Freeland pitched six scoreless innings in Colorado’s win over Philadelphia.

McMahon had the first multi-homer game of his career and helped the Rockies snap a five-game home losing streak. Colorado has won four in a row overall after dropping eight straight.

J.T. Realmuto hit his seventh homer, and Cesar Hernandez had three hits for Philadelphia.

McMahon had been out of the lineup since suffering a strained left elbow against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 5. He missed 10 games, but came back strong to help Freeland get his eighth win in his last nine decisions at Coors Field.

Freeland (2-3) allowed just two hits and didn’t walk a batter.

Tony Wolters had three hits and Nolan Arenado two for the Rockies.