MINNEAPOLIS -- — Byron Buxton homered for the third time in four games and Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead, two-run drive that led the Minnesota Twins over the Toronto Blue Jays 7- 1 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Daulton Varsho homered off Bailey Ober (3-1) in the fourth and Jeffers put the Twins ahead to stay at 2-1 in the bottom half against Kevin Gausman (2-2).

Buxton homered two innings later, his team-leading eighth, and Austin Martin added an RBI single later in the sixth. Buxton was 3 for 4 in his third three-hit game this season.

Minnesota won for the second time in its last nine games and the third time in 14.

Ober allowed four hits in six-plus innings. Anthony Banda, Andrew Morris and Justin Topa combined for two-hit relief for a Twins bullpen that entered with a 5.30 ERA, fourth-worst among big league bullpens.

Gausman allowed four runs, four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings. The four earned runs off him were a season high.

Throwing errors by third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and shortstop Andrés Giménez contributed to a pair of unearned runs in a three-run eighth.

Up next

Toronto LHP Patrick Corbin (0-0, 3.72 ERA) starts Friday against Minnesota RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-4, 6.30).

------

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb