Twins Stun Blue Jays After Hoffman's Late Collapse
It was a wild night at Rogers Centre, and fans got every bit of drama they could’ve asked for. The Toronto Blue Jays seemed to have the game in control, but in baseball, things can turn quickly—and that’s exactly what happened when closer Jeff Hoffman took the mound in the ninth inning.
Toronto had built up a 4-0 lead early on, powered by George Springer’s bat. Springer was on fire, blasting two massive solo homers—one at 433 feet and another at 445 feet—while also scoring four runs and collecting four hits in total. Nathan Lukes chipped in with three hits, and starter Chris Bassitt kept Minnesota quiet until the sixth inning. By then, it felt like the Blue Jays were cruising.
But the Minnesota Twins had other ideas. Luke Keaschall put them on the board with a two-run homer off Bassitt, and while Toronto managed to escape some trouble in the seventh, the Twins kept pressing. Addison Barger even made a highlight-reel diving catch that saved the Blue Jays from giving up more runs, but momentum was quietly shifting.
Also Read:Fast forward to the ninth inning—Hoffman was handed the ball to close things out. That’s when the game flipped. Mickey Gasper, who had never hit a big-league home run before, stepped in and crushed Hoffman’s second pitch of the night, a 95-mile-per-hour sinker, sending it 387 feet into the seats. Just like that, the game was tied, and the stadium went silent.
Moments later, Matt Wallner came up and delivered the dagger. With two men on, he launched a three-run homer that gave Minnesota the lead for good. In a matter of minutes, Hoffman’s night unraveled, marking his seventh blown save of the season. His ERA jumped to 4.77 after allowing four earned runs in less than an inning.
Toronto fans had one last glimmer of hope in the bottom of the ninth when Daulton Varsho drove in Springer to cut the deficit to two. The sellout crowd of more than 42,000 roared back to life, but it was short-lived. Justin Topa came on for Minnesota and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fly out, sealing the Twins’ 7-5 comeback win.
For the Blue Jays, the loss stung. Their lead in the American League East shrank to four games after Boston blanked Baltimore earlier in the night. For Minnesota, it was a much-needed spark, powered by an unlikely hero. Gasper not only hit his first homer but also gunned down a baserunner in the eighth, keeping the game within reach.
In the end, what looked like a routine victory for Toronto turned into a reminder of how quickly baseball can change. One swing tied it. Another swing flipped it. And just like that, Jeff Hoffman and the Blue Jays walked off the field stunned.
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