TORONTO _ Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has seemed to know when to start the right catcher at the right time. Because of injuries on Tuesday, he just had one choice available, Mitch Garver.
Then there was a scary moment in the first inning that could have left the Twins without any experienced backstop.
Blue Jays outfielder Randall Grichuk busted his bat while flying out to left field to end the first inning. A piece of his bat broke off and struck Garver on the left side of his neck, drawing blood.
This was the last thing the Twins needed, but it didn't slow down Garver one bit. He remained in the game, guided right-hander Jose Berrios to another victory and tagged talented Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez for a two-run homer that helped the Twins pull off a 3-0 shutout at Rogers Centre. Garver already has tied his home run output from last season with seven.
The Twins, who have won nine of their last 12 games, can sweep the Blue Jays in the three game series and complete a 7-3 stretch against the Astros, Yankees and Blue Jays with a win on Wednesday.
The Twins keep swinging the lumber, as they have hit 60 homers in 34 games. And Twins catchers continue to produce at the plate as well as behind it. Garver, with seven home runs, Jason Castro (four) and Willians Astudillo (one) have combined for 12 home runs as catchers.
The offense is nice, but catching is just as important, and Garver helped Berrios improve to 6-1 on the season, joining Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow and the Yankees Domingo German as the only pitchers with six wins in baseball. Berrios was masterful in his seven-inning outing, holding the Blue Jays to four hits while striking out five. It was the second shutout in as many nights for the Twins, as Martin Perez was the starter and winner on Monday.
While Berrios is 6-1, Perez is 5-0. They are the first Twins teammates with at least five wins each this early in the season since Mike Marshall and Jerry Koosman in 1979.
The Twins loaded the bases in the first inning against Sanchez, who entered the game with a 3.09 ERA. They failed to get a big hit with runners on bases during Sanchez's 31-pitch inning, but Marwin Gonzalez did draw a walk to force in a run to open the scoring.
Berrios needed 17 pitches to get out of the first, with the last one being the pitch during which Grichuk had his bat splinter off into Garver's neck. Garver played with red marks on his neck the rest of the way. But there were no signs that it affected him.
Berrios gave up one hit the first time through the order and just one hit the second time through Toronto's order. The Blue Jays didn't even get a runner to second base until Billy McKinney bounced a ground rule double over the right field wall in the seventh inning.
Berrios had no trouble carrying a 1-0 lead through most of the game, as Sanchez shook off the first inning to stymie Twins hitters. But Eddie Rosario led off the sixth with a bloop single to center, bringing Garver to the plate. On a 3-1 pitch, Garver launched a fastball 424 feet to left for a two-run home run and a 3-0 Twins lead.
Berrios had thrown 92 pitches through seven innings and looked able to pitch at least the eighth. But Twins manager Rocco Baldelli went to his bullpen. Trevor Hildenberger, Trevor May and Taylor Rogers combined to get the final six outs.
