Blue Jays rally to tie Twins

Rowdy Tellez had two hits and two RBIs for the Toronto Blue Jays in their 5-5 tie with the Minnesota Twins in Grapefruit League action on Sunday. File photo.

February 23, 2020

By Lukas Weese

Canadian Baseball Network

A two-run single by Rowdy Tellez helped the Toronto Blue Jays rally from four runs down to tie the Minnesota Twins 5-5 on Sunday afternoon in Grapefruit League action at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

Tellez lined a single to the left field in the sixth inning that brought home infielders Santiago Espinal and Andy Burns. Tellez’s hit set up Forrest Wall’s game-tying sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh and Burns’s ensuing go-ahead single that gave the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead.

But Twins first baseman Zander Wiel launched a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game.

Alejandro Kirk, Billy McKinney, and Jose Palacios also scored for the Blue Jays (1-0-1).

Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay made his first start of the spring. The 24-year-old southpaw, who came to the Blue Jays in the Marcus Stroman trade last season, gave up three hits, two earned runs, and struck out two batters in two innings.

The Twins started the scoring with four consecutive runs. Travis Blankenhorn hit a sacrifice fly off Kay in the second inning, which brought home Twins infielder Miguel Sano for the Twins’ first run. Jimmy Kerrigan, the batter after Blankenhorn, then recorded an RBI single that scored Ehire Adrianza.

Adrianza registered his second run in the bottom of the fourth when Blankenhorn grounded into a double play.

During the bottom of the fifth, Anthony Alford’s fielding error resulted in Drew Maggi scoring the fourth run for the Twins.

The Blue Jays’ comeback began in the top of the sixth with second baseman Joe Panik’s sacrifice fly that plated McKinney.

Panik’s RBI preceded Tellez’s two-run single that brought the Blue Jays to within one run. The seventh inning saw both Kirk and Palacios score runs that gave the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead, before reliever Kirby Snead gave up the game-tying home run to Wiel in the bottom of the eighth.

The Twins outhit the Blue Jays nine to seven in the contest.

Jacob Waguespack, Sean-Reid Foley, Justin Miller, Thomas Hatch, and Ryan Dull all pitched scoreless innings for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays are back in action on Monday afternoon, taking on the Atlanta Braves in their first game at the newly renovated TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.