Phil Hughes set a season high with nine strikeouts as he and the Twins beat the Blue Jays, 7-2 Thursday afternoon in Toronto.
Minnesota took two of three from the American League East division leading Jays. The Twins have not lost a series to an American League East team this season, and has equaled win total against AL East teams through all of last season, with 12.
Hughes’ streak of eight straight quality starts ended last weekend when the Houston Astros touched him up with five runs and three home runs. Today, Hughes was back in top form. He scattered seven hits and didn’t walk a batter.
Hughes' new streak: 66 consecutive batters without a walk, dating to 6/1 at NYY (McCann in the 4th) #MNTwins
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) June 11, 2014
Josh Willingham’s fifth homer of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the first, was all the run support Hughes needed. For Willingham, it was his fifth homer of the year.
Joe Mauer also got his back going. He snapped out of an 0-16 slump with a double and finished 2-3 on the day. Kendrys Morales, in his third game with Minnesota, went 3-5 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
Minnesota’s best player this season, Brian Dozier, was forced to leave the game in the middle of the fourth inning with lower-back tightness, the Pioneer Press reports.
Dozier’s 14 home runs are more than any other second basemen in the big leagues.
The Twins, who are now two games under .500 start a series on Friday against the Tigers.
