Okamoto homers twice to lead Blue Jays past Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kazuma Okamoto homered twice, Yohendrick Pinango had three hits in just his fifth career game, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 7-3 Friday night.

Lenyn Sosa also had three hits to tie a career high, and Patrick Corbin allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to get his first win with the Blue Jays.

Byron Buxton homered for the fourth time in five games, but Minnesota lost for the 12th time in 15 games.

Okamoto hit a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning and added a two-run shot in the fifth to make it 6-2. It is the first multi-homer game for Okamoto, who signed a four-year, $60 million contract with Toronto in January. He hit 248 home runs during his 11-year career in Japan.

He nearly added a third home run in the ninth inning, but the ball was caught on the warning track.

Corbin (1-0), who made 30 starts for Texas last year and signed with Toronto on April 3 to help a rotation battered by early-season injuries, scattered six hits and struck out four.

Minnesota loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning against Jeff Hoffman but only scored one run on Ryan Jeffers' sacrifice fly.

For the sixth time in seven outings, Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5) failed to go more than five innings, allowing six runs — four earned — in 4 2/3 innings, pushing his ERA to 6.49.

Buxton golfed a two-run home run in the third to tie the score 2-2. His nine home runs since April 13 are tied with Munetaka Murakami for the most in baseball.

Trying to throw out Daulton Varsho at home on a fielder’s choice, a throwing error by first baseman Josh Bell allowed Varsho and Sosa to score for a 2-0 second-inning Toronto lead.

Up next

RHP Dylan Cease (1-1, 2.87 ERA) starts for Toronto on Saturday, and LHP Connor Prielipp (1-0, 4.00 ERA) pitches for Minnesota.

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