Dozier Homers As Twins Beat Blue Jays 6-0
TORONTO (AP) — Brian Dozier hit a three-run home run, Mike Pelfrey and three relievers combined for a four-hitter and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-0 on Saturday.
Dozier had two hits and four RBIs, connecting off knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for his eighth homer as the Twins snapped a six-game skid and won for just the fourth time in 14 games.
Minnesota came in having lost 17 of 23 to Toronto, including eight of nine at Rogers Centre.
Pitching for the first time since June 18 after landing on the disabled list with a strained back, Pelfrey (4-6) snapped an eight-start winless streak to earn his first victory since May 5 at Cleveland. He allowed three hits in six innings, walked three and struck out two.
Caleb Thielbar worked the seventh, Jared Burton pitched the eighth and Glen Perkins finished.
Maicer Izturis had three of Toronto's four hits as the Blue Jays lost for the seventh time in 10 games. Slugger Jose Bautista, who hit his 20th homer Friday, flied out to the warning track twice.
Pelfrey loaded the bases with three straight two-out walks in the first but Rajai Davis grounded out to end the threat.
Chris Parmalee doubled to begin the second and moved to third on Aaron Hicks' single but was caught in a rundown after Dickey snared Eduardo Escobar's comebacker, leaving men at first and second. After the runners moved up on a passed ball, Brian Dozier hit an RBI grounder, Jamey Carroll hit an RBI double and Joe Mauer followed with a run-scoring single.
Parmalee doubled off Dickey again to open the seventh and Hicks walked but Parmalee was forced at third on Escobar's bunt. Dozier followed with his first home run since June 21.
Dickey (8-9) had won three of his previous four starts, including a two-hit shutout of Tampa Bay on June 26 and seven solid innings in an 8-3 win over Detroit on Monday. But he wasn't as effective in this one, giving up six runs and seven hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Dickey has allowed six runs or more in seven of his 19 starts this season.
Twins outfielder Oswaldo Garcia was hit on the right hand by Dickey in the sixth. He stayed in the game but was replaced by Clete Thomas in the bottom of the seventh.
NOTES: After two rehab games with Class-A Lansing, Toronto 3B Brett Lawrie (left ankle) has moved up to Double-A New Hampshire, where he'll play Saturday night. Lawrie has been out since May 28. ... The Blue Jays activated RHP Kyle Drabek (shoulder surgery) off the disabled list and assigned him to Class-A Dunedin to continue his rehab. Drabek takes the 40-man roster spot of RHP Chien-Ming Wang, who is at Triple-A Buffalo. ... The Blue Jays signed RHP Clinton Hollon, their second round pick in last month's draft.
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