Valenzuela, Blue Jays light up Twins in 10-4 victory

Toronto Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela (59) hits a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during fourth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Friday, April 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Rookie Brandon Valenzuela belted his first career homer, a two-run shot that concluded a five-run fourth inning to help the Toronto Blue Jays overcome a four-run deficit and defeat the Minnesota Twins 10-4 on Friday.

The 25-year-old Valenzuela’s blast to right field off Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson (0-2) came in his 10th career at-bat. Valenzuela scored Andres Gimenez, who pulled the home side to within 4-3 after a hard-hit single to left field that scored Davis Schneider.

The Blue Jays (6-7) have now won back-to-back games after six straight losses. The Twins (7-7) saw their four-game win streak snapped before 40,721 at Rogers Centre.

Daulton Varsho slammed a solo shot in the fifth, and Ernie Clement’s double scored Schneider in the sixth inning. Clement scored the eighth run on George Springer’s double to left.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits and an RBI, while Schneider went 2 for 3 with two RBI in Toronto’s 14-hit attack.

Lefty Patrick Corbin, 36, went four innings in his Blue Jays debut. He hit two batters, gave up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts, a walk and homers to Ryan Jeffers in the first inning and Brooks Lee in the fourth.

Woods Richardson, who was traded by the Blue Jays five years ago in the deal that landed Jose Berrios, was good for four innings. He gave up five runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Takeaways

Blue Jays: Relievers Tommy Nance, Joe Mantiply (1-0), Louis Varland and Braydon Fisher combined for five shutout innings and nine strikeouts.

Twins: Catcher Ryan Jeffers managed a 3 for 3 game, including a three-run blast into the left-field seats for his first homer in 2026. He reached base a fourth time when he was hit by Fisher in the eighth.

Key moment

Valenzuela’s two-out, two-run game-winning homer in the fourth inning.

Key stat

Corbin was the eighth left-handed starter the Twins have faced in 14 outings this season. They have dropped five of those games.

Up next

Toronto lefty Eric Lauer (1-1) will face Minnesota’s Joe Ryan (1-1) in the middle outing of the series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press