Merrifield’s baserunning helps Blue Jays beat Twins in extras

Cavan Biggio scored a sacrifice fly in 10th inning, and Whit Merrifield scored on an erroneous call to help the Blue Jays win 3-2 over the Minnesota Twins.

Merrifield was initially called out at the plate. However, the call was reversed when Twins catcher Gary Sanchez was found to have interfered with Merrifield’s right foot as he moved into home plate. The inning would have been ended had the out occurred.

Minnesota manager Rocco baldelli was ejected because he argued the call. It was his eighth career dismissal and third season in a row.

Tampa Bay finished two games ahead Toronto as the top wildcard in the American League. After Cleveland’s win, Minnesota’s lead over the AL Central fell to one game.

The Blue Jays stopped a Twins comeback by scoring two runs in the first inning. Jose Miranda scored Minnesota’s first run with an RBI single in eighth inning. This was his fourth consecutive game with at minimum one RBI. Luis Arraez tied it in the ninth inning with an RBI single.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman tossed six scoreless innings. He walked six batters and allowed five hits. Gausman had been thrown out after three innings against the Twins in June. In that time, he allowed nine hits and five runs. In his last two starts, Gausman has now thrown 14 innings without a score.

After losing the save chance in the ninth inning Jordan Romano (4-3), shut down the Twins in 10th with a score of 1-2-3.

Chris Archer, a Minnesota pitcher, pitched five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four. Archer only lasted five innings for the fourth time in this season.

Toronto scored early runs with back-to-back hits during the second and third innings. Teoscar Martinez singled to start the second inning. He was scored by Bo Bichette’s double. Biggio doubled in the third inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. scored him with an RBI single.

Caleb Thielbar (2-1) pitched the 10th for Twins and gave up Biggio’s sac fly.

Vladamir Guerrero Jr. was 1 for 4. This extended his career-high hit streak to 18 games. This is the longest active streak of hitting in Major League Baseball.