You can score six runs on one hit to win a major league baseball game.
Minnesota scored three straight runs on wild pitches by the Toronto Blue Jays’ Sergio Santos in the eighth inning, when the Twins walked eight times off three relievers in rallying for a 9-5 victory and a sweep of Thursday’s day-night doubleheader.
Kyle Gibson threw eight scoreless innings as Minnesota won the opener 7-0. It was 31 degrees at first pitch time for that game, the coldest start to a game in Target Field history.
The Twins trailed 5-1 in the fifth of the night game after another lackluster start by Mike Pelfrey.
Steve Delabar walked two batters starting the six-run eighth, setting up Santos for trouble as manager John Gibbons called for his closer early. Santos walked all three batters he faces, loading the bases with one out when he put on pinch-hitter Trevor Plouffe. The Twins cut the lead to 5-4 when Josmil Pinto came home on a wild pitch.
The collapse by the Blue Jays bullpen worsened from there. Jason Kubel had the only Twins hit during the six run frame.