Joe Ryan Watches Blue Jays Rip 8-Run Eighth, Win 11-4

joe ryan started against Toronto, but the Twins could not hold a 4-3 lead once the Blue Jays reached the eighth inning. Toronto scored eight runs in the top of the frame and left Target Field with an 11-4 win on Saturday.

Springer Leaves Early

George Springer exited in the third inning after being hit by a pitch on his broken left big toe. That forced Toronto to keep going without its designated hitter, yet the lineup still found enough late offense to bury Minnesota after the game had tightened around the middle innings.

Kazuma Okamoto had already given Toronto a lift before the rally. He hit a 453-foot home run in the sixth inning, his fourth in three games, and has now driven in 16 runs in his last 14 games.

Blue Jays Erupt Against Garcia

In the eighth, Luis Garcia entered to protect Minnesota's one-run lead and immediately ran into traffic. Ernie Clement led off with a single, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked, and Okamoto tied the game with a ground single up the middle that scored Clement.

The inning kept getting away from the Twins. Lenyn Sosa followed with a go-ahead RBI infield single, Daulton Varsho’s comebacker went through the legs of Anthony Banda to load the bases, and Myles Straw drew a walk to force home another run.

Toronto's Bullpen Trend

The comeback fit a larger stretch for Toronto’s relief group. The Blue Jays bullpen had not blown a save since April 15, and the club entered the game with just seven blown saves over its first 17 games after the bullpen mix improved when Jeff Hoffman was pulled back from the ninth inning.

That run of stability came with numbers behind it. Louis Varland had four saves in four opportunities, Toronto’s bullpen carried a 1.41 ERA over its last nine games, and the Twins bullpen had a 7.48 ERA over the same span. Toronto was 2-1 on the road trip as it prepared to leave for the next stop, carrying an 11-4 win that started with a one-run deficit and ended with an eight-run inning.