Inside The Twins

Byron Buxton homers as Twins fall to Blue Jays in spring training

Buxton hit a 437-foot solo shot to left-center field in the sixth inning on Saturday.

Nolan O'Hara

Outfielder Byron Buxton walks to the dugout after a live batting practice session during the Minnesota Twins' first full-squad workout of spring training at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025.
Outfielder Byron Buxton walks to the dugout after a live batting practice session during the Minnesota Twins' first full-squad workout of spring training at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Byron Buxton homered, but the Minnesota Twins otherwise found little offense in a 2-1 spring training loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.

Offense was hard to come by all around on Saturday. Both teams recorded just seven hits each and left a combined 16 runners on base. The Blue Jays did take an early 1-0 lead when Alan Roden hit an RBI single off Scott Blewett, who started and gave up just two hits and the one run while fanning one in two innings. Max Scherzer, meanwhile, held the Twins quiet as he gave up just two hits and fanned four across four shutout innings. The Twins didn't find hits until after his exit.

Jorge Alcala gave up an RBI single to Rainer Nunez in the sixth inning as the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead, but Buxton immediately got that one back with his 437-foot solo shot to left-center field in the bottom of the inning.

But the Twins couldn't find any more runs. Matt Wallner and Carlos Correa were both 0 for 4; Buxton was 1 for 4 overall and struck out twice; Ryan Jeffers went 0 for 3; and Edouard Julien was 0 for 3. Trevor Larnach had a pair of singles and went 2 for 4; Jose Miranda and Ty France each went 1 for 3; and Austin Martin had a pinch-hit single to finish 1 for 1.

But the Twins ultimately went 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.

From the mound, the Twins got shutout innings from Louie Varland, Justin Topa, Jhoan Duran and Gabriel Yanez. Varland fanned one in a hitless fifth; Topa gave up just one hit and fanned one in a scoreless seventh; Duran struck out a pair and gave up just a hit in a scoreless eighth; and Yanez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to keep the Twins' chances alive late.

The Twins are now 10-15 in spring training and visit the Boston Red Sox on Monday for a 12:05 p.m. first pitch.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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