Andres Gimenez of the Toronto Blue Jays gets doused in water by teammates during a post-game interview following their win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday at Rogers Centre.Mark Blinch/Getty Images
It was Andrés Giménez bobble head night on Monday at Rogers Centre. One might even be surprised that the Blue Jays have one for their light-hitting second baseman.
Naturally, Giménez had two hits, including a home run, scored three runs and stole a base in Toronto’s 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
On July 1, the day after the club gave away his shirt in another promotion, he also homered.
“I would pay [the marketing department] to have more of these if they are all going to be like this,” Giménez said. “It’s always special.”
An elite fielder, Giménez entered the game with a .214 batting average and five home runs. He has just recently returned to the lineup after suffering an ankle injury.
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“He is the best infielder in baseball in my estimation,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “He can hit. He has hit his whole career.”
Over 642 career games with three teams, he has a .256 average and 55 home runs.
Toronto strafed the Twins’ pitching staff for 10 runs and five extra-base hits and had three steals. Alejandro Kirk hit a two run shot, his 11th, in the team’s four-run first inning.
Nathan Lukes doubled twice and had two doubles and two runs batted in and scored two times, while George Springer had two singles, drove in a run and also stole a base.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays hits a two-RBI single against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre on Monday.Mark Blinch/Getty Images
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who returned to the lineup after he missed five games on last week’s road trip, had a two-run single that helped blow the game open in the sixth inning.
Before the contest, Guerrero paused to wave to children who were granted access to stand behind the batting cage. He could hardly ignore the shrill screams of “Vladdy” from young fans.
He slapped the ball around while taking batting practice against Schneider. The team’s most popular player also buried several shots deep into the left-field stands.
The top hitters in Toronto’s lineup like to take swings against Schneider pregame when his other duties don’t interfere. Springer looked especially pleased after depositing four straight meatballs over the fence.
Once the contest began, the Blue Jays battered Minnesota starter Joe Ryan around like Schneider. He left after surrendering six runs on seven hits in five innings.
The Blue Jays scored four runs in the top of the first and seven in the five innings that Ryan pitched.
Max Scherzer (5-2) was excellent through the first five innings before he ran into trouble in the sixth. Matt Wallner, who had homered the previous inning, launched a three-run blast to bring Minnesota’s deficit to within 7-4.
Scherzer went six innings and allowed the four runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Springer has been red-hot since he returned to the lineup the week before last after missing a couple of weeks with a concussion. He entered Monday’s engagement with four home runs in the last eight games.
To hold onto first place in the American League East, the Blue Jays are banking on a similarly healthy return by Guerrero. The slugger was held out of the starting last week during a road trip because of an injury to his left hamstring.
He pinch-hit against the Miami Marlins on Sunday and was inserted as the designated hitter on Monday against the Twins.
“It’s part of baseball,” he said when asked if the injury had frustrated him. “It’s good to get back.”
Schneider had Ty France at first base, which is Guerrero’s regular position. He wouldn’t commit to when Guerrero may play in the field again. He was hurt doing a split while catching a throw from shortstop Bo Bichette.
“It could be [Tuesday] or it could be Sunday,” Schneider said.
Toronto has a sizeable lead in the AL East and need not rush Guerrero back too soon, with 30 games to play during the regular season. He entered the first of three against Minnesota with a .298 batting average with 21 homers and 69 runs batted in.
“He’s doing good, but we are being pretty cautious with him,” Schneider said. “He was itching to play [on Monday] so that is a good thing. After Sunday’s game he told me he feels great.”
The Blue Jays bullpen has been struggling for nearly a month now from overuse. It would help to have reliever Yimi Garcia back but it does not look like that is going to occur anytime soon.
The right-hander has been on the injured list since July 5 with an ankle injury and a problem with the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow. Schneider said the club is arranging for Garcia to get a second opinion.
“We are just trying to figure out what’s going on,” Schneider said. “He just hasn’t recovered. He is doing a little better but it is frustrating for him. He wants to be a part of things.”
Louis Varland, Yariel Rodriguez and Jeff Hoffman have all been hit hard recently.
“It’s just the life of a reliever,” Schneider said. “It catches up to you. You just don’t want them all having problems at the same time.”