TORONTO – The Minnesota Twins hit two homers off Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman within the ninth inning of a 7-5 comeback victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.
Mickey Gasper led off the frame together with his first profession homer to tie the sport and Matt Wallner put the Twins ahead with a three-run blast.
It was the seventh blown save of the season for Hoffman (8-5).
Michael Tonkin (2-0) recorded two outs within the eighth inning for the win and Justin Topa earned his fourth save.
The loss trimmed Toronto’s lead on Boston to 4 games within the American League East division standings. The Red Sox blanked the Baltimore Orioles 5-0.
George Springer hit two solo homers, scored 4 runs and had 4 hits for the Blue Jays (77-56), who led 4-0 after five innings.
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After Toronto scored twice within the opening frame, Springer launched a 433-foot shot within the second inning off Twins starter Bailey Ober.
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His fifth-inning blast — also a second-deck shot at 445 feet — was his team-leading twenty fourth home run of the yr. Nathan Lukes had three hits for the Blue Jays, who outhit the Twins 14-9.
Chris Bassitt kept Minnesota off the scoreboard until Luke Keaschall’s two-run homer within the sixth inning.
The appropriate-hander allowed two earned runs and 4 hits over 5 2/3 innings. He had six strikeouts and three walks.
With Toronto up 4-2 within the seventh inning, the Twins loaded the bases with no one out but could only push one across.
Blue Jays right-fielder Addison Barger made a diving catch on a Brooks Lee liner and doubled off Austin Martin. Gasper scored on the sacrifice fly before southpaw Brendon Little got Keaschall on a groundout.
Minnesota (60-72) had runners in scoring position again within the eighth but Little recorded two outs before Seranthony Dominguez got here on to strike out Royce Lewis to preserve Toronto’s lead.
After the Twins pulled ahead within the ninth, the sellout crowd of 42,235 got here back to life in the underside half of the frame when Daulton Varsho drove in Springer to make it a two-run game.
Topa got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fly out to finish it.
KEY MOMENT
Gasper turned on Hoffman’s second pitch of the night — a 95-m.p.h. sinker — and belted it 387 feet to tie the sport.
KEY STAT
Hoffman’s earned-run average rose to 4.77 after allowing 4 earned runs over two-thirds of an inning.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Eric Lauer (8-2, 2.76 earned-run average) is tabbed to begin for the Blue Jays on Wednesday. The Twins didn’t immediately name their starter.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press