In a game that had Twins fans holding their breath, Minnesota managed to grind out a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, splitting the four-game series at Target Field. The win came with a major concern, however, as starter Joe Ryan exited early with elbow soreness.
Ryan, a 2025 All-Star, looked sharp to open the game, striking out Yohendrick Piñango. But after walking Kazuma Okamoto, the right-hander immediately signaled to catcher Victor Caratini and the dugout, prompting an early exit that will surely be monitored closely by the Twins' medical staff.
Enter Andrew Morris, the rookie who delivered a performance worthy of a seasoned veteran. Making just his sixth major league appearance since debuting on April 12, Morris tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out three. It was exactly the kind of relief effort the Twins needed, especially after their bullpen had been tagged with a 5.48 ERA—third-worst in the majors—entering the day.
The Twins' offense did its part, breaking through in a three-run fifth inning highlighted by Luke Keaschall's RBI double. Keaschall finished with a pair of hits, while Caratini—who caught every inning of Ryan's abbreviated start—also contributed an RBI double in the first inning.
The game wasn't without drama in the ninth. Justin Topa, tasked with closing things out, saw Okamoto launch a two-run homer—his third consecutive game with a long ball—to cut the lead to 4-3. But Topa regrouped, inducing a game-ending double play from Lenyn Sosa to secure his second save of the season.
For the Blue Jays, rookie Trey Yesavage (1-1) made his second start, allowing one run on five hits and three walks over four innings. Toronto now heads to Tampa Bay for Monday's game without a named starter after Max Scherzer landed on the injured list with forearm tendinitis and ankle inflammation.
The Twins, meanwhile, will look to build on this much-needed win—snapping a stretch where they'd lost 13 of 16—as they travel to Washington. Right-hander Taj Bradley (3-1, 2.85 ERA) is slated to start Tuesday night.