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Bautista hits 3 homers, Blue Jays sweep Twins

May 16, 2011 - 12:15 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Jose Bautista clubbed three home runs, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to an 11-3 win over the Minnesota Twins that completed a three-game sweep at Target Field.

Bautista hit solo shots in the third and fourth and added a two-run homer in the sixth inning to increase his MLB-leading total to 16. In the series, he hit five home runs and went 7-for-14 with seven RBI.

Brandon Morrow (2-2) gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in five innings and took the win, Toronto's fifth straight.

Trevor Plouffe, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer each drove in a run for the Twins, who have dropped their last eight games. Brian Duensing (2-3) was touched for seven runs on eight hits over just three innings.

Toronto jumped on top in the first inning on a two-run double from Aaron Hill, and made it a 3-0 game in the second on an RBI double by Yunel Escobar.

The Blue Jays kept the runs coming in the third, which Bautista led off with a homer to left. A single from John McDonald later in the frame plated two more, and Jose Molina followed with an RBI single for a 7-0 lead.

Bautista went deep for the second time in the game and fourth in the series in the fourth inning, making it an 8-0 game.

Minnesota put its first three men on base in the fourth and, after a Delmon Young strikeout, got a run across on a Michael Cuddyer walk. However, Morrow retired the next two batters to escape further damage.

The Twins got closer in the fifth, when RBI doubles from Plouffe and Morneau pulled them within 8-3.

Toronto, though, got those runs back in the sixth. Molina led off with a double and later came home on a Corey Patterson single. Bautista followed with a shot over the wall in right-center for an 11-3 lead.

The slugger said he stepped to the plate with the same approach he uses for every at-bat.

"Just trying to get ready on time, see the ball well and look for something over the plate and try to hit it hard," Bautista said. "I got plenty of pitches to do that this series."

Bautista had a chance to join the four-home run club, but he grounded into a fielder's choice at short to end the eighth inning.

Game Notes

Bautista has 13 home runs and 21 RBI in his last 19 games. He led the majors with 54 homers last season...Toronto has taken five of six from Minnesota this season...Minnesota begins a two-game set in Seattle on Monday, when Toronto starts a two-game series in Detroit.