Daulton Varsho, Spencer Horwitz homer in 7-run 1st inning as Blue Jays rout Twins, 15-0

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Toronto hit three two-run homers, including two in a seven-run first inning, and José Berríos tossed six shutout innings as the Blue Jays routed the Minnesota Twins 15-0 on Saturday night.

Daulton Varsho and Spencer Horwitz each hit two-run home runs in the first inning off Twins starter Zebby Matthews (1-2), giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead just four batters into the game. Toronto scored three more runs in the inning off Matthews to take a 7-0 lead before Minnesota’s bats ever got to the plate.

“I felt like towards the end of the game, everybody was running to the bat rack to try and get in there,” Horwitz said. “When you get that energy and the offense kind of rolling, it’s contagious and I think we saw that tonight.”

Matthews lasted just one more inning in his fourth career start. He surrendered another two-run blast in the second, this time off the bat of Addison Barger, to make it a 9-0 Toronto lead.

“It’s obviously very frustrating,” Matthews said. “My job is to go out there and give the team the best chance to win and I didn’t do that tonight.”

Cleveland and Kansas City also lost Saturday, so Minnesota remains 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Guardians and a game back of the second-place Royals in the American League Central.

Saturday tied a Blue Jays franchise record for largest shutout win. Toronto set season highs for both runs (15) and hits (23).

That was more than enough offensive support for Berríos (14-9), who was sharp against his former team. The right-hander allowed just three hits, all singles, and tallied five strikeouts in six innings.

After the game, Toronto manager John Schneider mentioned that Berríos was under the weather. Berríos said he had a fever.

“I want to keep going out there and do my thing to help my team, and I did it,” Berríos said. “It was a challenge for me today.”

Berríos pitched for the Twins from 2016 to 2021, when he was dealt to Toronto at the trade deadline. He is now 4-1 lifetime against Minnesota.

Twins infielder Kyle Farmer pitched the eighth and ninth innings and allowed three runs. It's the second time in his career he’s taken the mound.

Second baseman Will Wagner added a solo homer for Toronto, his second big league homer since debuting on June 26. Wagner finished the game with five hits, the first rookie in Blue Jays history to do so.

“Nothing really phases him,” Schneider said. "I just love the way he goes about it every single day. Simple swing and just understands the game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (calf) hasn’t played since July 19, and manager John Schneider said Bichette did some running Saturday, though not on the bases yet. Schneider said the team hopes Bichette will run on the bases in the next few days.

Twins: CF Manny Margot exited Saturday’s game with right groin tightness. He'll undergo an MRI on Sunday morning.

UP NEXT

RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.82 ERA) will look for his first win since July 6 as he takes the mound for the Blue Jays in the series finale. Minnesota will start RHP Bailey Ober (12-6, 4.06), who was roughed up for nine runs in just two innings against Atlanta in his last start.

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

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho catches a fly ball hit by Minnesota Twins designated hitter Trevor Larnach during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Toronto Blue Jays' Spencer Horwitz during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler attempts to field the ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Spencer Horwitz celebrates after his two-run home run while he runs the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher José Berríos delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Spencer Horwit celebrates his two-run home run in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho celebrates his two-run home run while he runs the bases during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen were arrested Saturday after Venezuelan officials accused them of coming to the South American country to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro.

The arrests were announced on state television by Diosdado Cabello, the nation's powerful interior minister. Cabello said the foreign citizens were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government and kill several members of its leadership. In the television program, Cabello showed images of rifles that he said were confiscated from some of the plotters of the alleged plan.

The arrest of the American citizens included a member of the Navy, who Cabello identified as Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez. Cabello said that Gomez was a former navy seal who had served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Colombia. Spain's embassy in Venezuela did not reply to a request for comment on the arrests of its citizens.

The U.S. State Department late Saturday confirmed the detention of a U.S. military member and said it was aware of “unconfirmed reports of two additional U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela.”

“Any claims of U.S. involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false. The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela,” the statement said.

The announcement of the arrests comes just two days after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on 16 allies of Maduro who were accused by the U.S. government of obstructing voting during the disputed July 28 Venezuelan presidential election, and carrying out human rights abuses.

Earlier this week, Spain's parliament recognized opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the election, angering Maduro allies who called on the Venezuelan government to suspend commercial and diplomatic relations with Spain.

Tensions between Venezuela's government and the U.S. have increased as well following the election, whose result sparked protests within Venezuela in which hundreds of opposition activists were arrested.

Venezuela's Electoral Council, which is closely aligned with the Maduro administration, said Maduro won the election with 52% of the vote, but did not provide a detailed breakdown of the results.

Opposition activists, however, surprised the government by collecting tally sheets from 80% of the nation's voting machines. The tally sheets collected by the opposition were published online, and they indicate that Gonzalez won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.

Despite international condemnation over the election's lack of transparency, Venezuela's supreme court, which has long backed Maduro, confirmed his victory in August. Venezuela's attorney general then filed conspiracy charges against Gonzalez, who fled to Spain last week after it became clear he would be arrested.

Maduro has dismissed requests from several countries, including the leftist governments of Colombia and Brazil, to provide tally sheets that prove he won the election. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, has long claimed the U.S. is trying to overthrow him through sanctions and covert operations.

The Maduro administration has previously used Americans imprisoned in Venezuela to gain concessions from the U.S. government. In a deal conducted last year with the Biden administration, Maduro released 10 Americans and a fugitive wanted by the U.S. government to secure a presidential pardon for Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally who was held in Florida on money laundering charges. According to U.S. prosecutors, Saab had also helped Maduro to avoid U.S. Treasury sanctions through a complex network of shell companies.

FILE - Socialist Party President Diosdado Cabello gives his weekly press conference, in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, Venezuela, Aug. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

FILE - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses government loyalists gathered at the presidential palace in support of his reelection one month after the presidential vote, in Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)