Semien's 40th homer lifts Blue Jays back into playoff spot

TORONTO (AP) — Marcus Semien became the fifth second baseman to hit 40 home runs in a season, and the Toronto Blue Jays moved back into a playoff position by beating the Minnesota Twins 6-2 Saturday.

Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer, and Bo Bichette had three hits and two RBIs as the Blue Jays rebounded from a 7-3 loss and improved to a big league-best 14-3 in September.

Toronto (83-65) moved a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees (83-66) for the second AL wild-card berth, one game behind Boston (85-65).

Steven Matz (13-7) won his fourth straight decision, allowing two runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He is 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA in his past seven starts. Toronto had lost its eight previous home games against the Twins since Aug. 26, 2017.

Bailey Ober (2-3) retired the his eight batters and nine of 10 before Semien's leadoff homer in the fourth. Semien joined ​​Rogers Hornsby, Davey Johnson, Ryne Sandberg, and Brian Dozier as the only second basemen to hit 40 home runs in a season.

Four of Semien’s homers have come in his 21 appearances at shortstop.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a walk, Bo Bichette singled and Hernández hit his 28th homer, a drive into the left-field bullpen. Hernández leads the Blue Jays with 106 RBIs.

Ober allowed four runs and four hits in four innings, snapping a 10-start streak in which he allowed no more than three earned runs per outing.

Minnesota's Josh Donaldson homered against his former team for the second straight game, hitting a two-run shot off Matz in the first. Donaldson’s homer was his 24th.

Trevor Richards retired Brent Rooker to strand runners at the corners in the sixth. Tim Mayza worked 1 1/3 innings, Adam Cimber got two outs in the eighth and Jordan Romano finished.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Semien-s-40th-homer-lifts-Blue-Jays-back-into-16470040.php