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Morneau homers twice, Twins beat Blue Jays 8-3

May 18, 2010 - 3:35 AM TORONTO(AP) -- Trips to Canada have always been a chance for Justin Morneau to buy things he can't find in the United States. Now, after years of struggling in his home country, he's finally getting some hits here, too.

Morneau homered twice, Delmon Young also went deep and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Monday night.

"(Morneau) picked us up big time," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He knocked in a lot of runs. That's why he's been an MVP, nights just like that."

Morneau went 3 for 4 with a walk and four RBIs. He hit a solo homer off Rommie Lewis in the sixth inning and added a two-run drive off Shawn Camp in the eighth, his first multihomer game this season and the 13th of his career.

Morneau, who has 11 homers, also had one Sunday at Yankee Stadium and has hit safely in 10 straight games.

Jose Bautista homered for the fourth time in three games for the Blue Jays, his team-leading 11th, but Toronto's four-game winning streak ended.

Morneau, from New Westminster, British Columbia, said emotion used to get the better of him when the Twins came to Toronto, and he had just one hit in his first 23 at-bats north of the border.

"I think I was too excited. I was trying to do too much," Morneau said. "Now when we come here I just try and relax and enjoy being here but, at the same time, just treat it like any other ballpark and not try to do too much, knowing that everyone at home is watching.

"Once I got that first hit out of the way, I finally relaxed after that and just enjoyed coming in and that was it," he added. "Now it's just enjoy being home and enjoy the ketchup chips."

Those potato chips, which Morneau has also had shipped to him in Minnesota, are one of several snack foods he stocks up on while in Canada. A cookies-and-cream chocolate bar is another favorite.

Morneau boosted his career average in Canada to .212 (14 for 66) and raised his AL-leading average to .374.

"He's swinging great and using the whole field," Gardenhire said. "We've seen him hit the ball all over the ballpark, not just pull. If you look at his stats they're pretty good, just about every one of them."

What does Twins starter Kevin Slowey think when he watches Morneau hit?

"I'm just glad I don't have to throw to him," Slowey said.

Slowey (5-3) earned his first win in five career starts against the Blue Jays as the Twins won for just the fourth time in 14 games at Toronto. Joe Mauer added three hits.

Slowey allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings, walked none and struck out two. The right-hander has not lost back-to-back starts this season.

Alex Burnett pitched two innings, Matt Guerrier worked the eighth and Jesse Crain finished.

Young opened the scoring with a leadoff homer in the second, his fourth, off Blue Jays left-hander Dana Eveland (3-3), who lost consecutive starts for the first time this season.

Eveland allowed five runs, three earned, and nine hits in four-plus innings. He walked four and struck out two.

Bautista briefly put the Blue Jays on top with a two-run homer off Slowey in the second, but the Twins took the lead for good with a four-run fourth, doing all the damage with two outs and taking advantage of some sloppy play by Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay.

Orlando Hudson hit an RBI single, went to third on a base hit by Mauer and scored on Morneau's single up the middle, with Mauer going to third. Michael Cuddyer followed with a grounder to third, but Overbay couldn't handle Bautista's throw and was charged with an error as Mauer scored.

Overbay tried to get Morneau at third but his throw sailed down the line for another error, allowing Morneau to score. The errors were his second and third.

Overbay said he should have tried to grab Bautista's throw on a short hop, and acknowledged compounding his mistake with the wild peg to third.

"That's not a good play," he said. "I should have just eaten it."

Overbay, who earlier failed to come up with balls hit by Brendan Harris, Jason Kubel and Denard Span, was jeered by the crowd of 13,892 after his two errors, and again in his final two at-bats. Fans chanted the name of Brett Wallace, Toronto's top first base prospect who is having a strong season in Triple-A.

Vernon Wells made it 5-3 with an RBI single in the fifth but Morneau homered twice in the next three innings, both times with two outs, to keep the Twins in control.

NOTES: Toronto placed OF Travis Snider (right wrist) on the 15-day disabled list and sent him to Florida for an MRI on Tuesday. 3B Edwin Encarnacion will be activated from the DL in time for Tuesday's game. Encarnacion has been out since April 15 with a sore right shoulder. ... Mauer went 3 for 5, raising his average to .360. ... Blue Jays C John Buck made a sliding pickup on a slow roller by Span and threw to first from a seated position for an out in the eighth.