Closer Hoffman gives up two homers as Twins come back for 7-5 win over Blue Jays
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TORONTO – The Minnesota Twins hit two homers off Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman in the ninth inning of a 7-5 comeback victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday at Rogers Centre.
Mickey Gasper led off the frame with his first career homer to tie the game 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 in the eighth inning for the win and Justin Topa earned his fourth save.
The loss trimmed Toronto’s lead on Boston to four games in the American League East division standings. The Red Sox blanked the Baltimore Orioles 5-0.
George Springer hit two solo homers, scored four runs and had four hits for the Blue Jays (77-56), who led 4-0 after five innings.
After Toronto scored twice in the opening frame, Springer launched a 433-foot shot in the second inning off Twins starter Bailey Ober.
His fifth-inning blast — also a second-deck shot at 445 feet — was his team-leading 24th home run of the year. 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 in the sixth inning.
The right-hander allowed two earned runs and four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He had six strikeouts and three walks.
With Toronto up 4-2 in the seventh inning, the Twins loaded the bases with nobody 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 in the eighth but Little recorded two outs before Seranthony Dominguez came on to strike out Royce Lewis to preserve Toronto’s lead.
After the Twins pulled ahead in the ninth, the sellout crowd of 42,235 came back to life in the bottom 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 end 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 game.
KEY STAT
Hoffman’s earned-run average rose to 4.77 after allowing four earned runs over two-thirds of an inning.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Eric Lauer (8-2, 2.76 earned-run average) is tabbed to start for the Blue Jays on Wednesday. The Twins did not immediately name their starter.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 26, 2025.
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