TORONTO — Todd Redmond gave the Toronto Blue Jays what they needed Sunday.
And in turn, Blue Jays hitters gave Redmond what he needed — lots of runs.
The result was the first career major-league win for the 28-year-old right-hander as the Blue Jays defeated the Minnesota Twins 11-5 to take the rubber match of the three-game series.
“I couldn’t be happier,” said Redmond (1-1), who was making his second major-league start and his first for Toronto. “The first win of my major-league career. I have to give all the credit to all of the hitters today, bailing me out of that fifth-inning stretch I had. They played awesome. The bats came up big.”
After Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead in the fourth, Aaron Hicks tied the score with a two-run homer in the fifth.
It was the only hit allowed by Redmond, who also walked three in his five innings.
The Blue Jays made Redmond a winner with a four-run bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Jose Reyes and a three-run shot by Rajai Davis.
“He has a ball that kind of got on you a little bit,” Twins first baseman Joe Mauer said. “The ball was jumping out of his hand. It was a tough day for us offensively.”
The Twins also had a two-run shot in the eighth by Trevor Plouffe, his ninth home run of the season, against left-hander Brett Cecil, who is going to the All-Star Game.
“He pitched phenomenal,” Davis said. “He did a great job to help us win.”
Redmond said, “Giving up a home run in that situation, it’s something you don’t want to do, especially when we just take the lead. That’s when you have to go out and put up a zero.”
Rasmus and Davis each drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, who outhit the Twins 13-5 before a crowd of 43,795 at Rogers Centre.
It was Redmond’s fourth game of the season for the Blue Jays. He made one start last season for the Cincinnati Reds.
Redmond was pitching on three days’ rest after working three innings in relief on Thursday against Detroit upon his promotion from Triple-A Buffalo.
“He knows the situation, he’s here filling in and has an opportunity to start. He couldn’t have done a better job,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “I would think he’d make another start, either Friday or Saturday. Why wouldn’t it be him?”
Twins left-hander Scott Diamond (5-8), who is from nearby Guelph, Ontario, allowed six runs and eight hits, including three home runs, in 4 2/3 innings.
“It’s fun to return home, it’s fun to play in front of a crowd that knows you’re Canadian and is kind of hostile to you at the same time,” Diamond said. “It kind of makes for a fun atmosphere, makes for a fun challenge. Sadly, I didn’t answer up to it today.”
Rasmus put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0 in the fourth when his 16th homer of the season on a 3-2 curveball that followed a double by Davis.
“I was pretty much looking for the breaking ball away,” Rasmus said. “I was able to foul those heaters off and he just left one in the middle of the plate, and I was able to get hold of it.”
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, “(Rasmus) battled him and battled him, then got a hanger and hit it in the seats. That was a huge at-bat early in the game.”
After Hicks tied it with his seventh homer of the season, Reyes put Toronto back into the lead when he started the four-run bottom of the fifth with his fourth homer of the year. Davis extended the lead to 6-2 with his second homer of the season into the second level. It followed a walk to Edwin Encarnacion and a single by Mark DeRosa.
The Twins scored a run in the sixth against left-hander Aaron Loup. Ryan Doumit doubled with one out, Justin Morneau was hit by a pitch and Plouffe beat out an infield hit. The run scored when Chris Parmelee forced Plouffe at second on a grounder to first.
The Blue Jays got the run back in the bottom of the inning on a double by Adam Lind.
The Blue Jays added four runs in the seventh against Josh Roenicke and left-hander Brian Duensing. Rasmus doubled in one run, Maicer Izturis singled in a run and Encarnacion tripled in two runs.
NOTES: Twins OF Oswaldo Arcia (knee) did not start Sunday because of a sore left knee. He also had a bruised right hand after being hit by a pitch on Saturday. … Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie (left ankle sprain) was 2-for-4 on Saturday for Double-A New Hampshire in the next phase of his rehabilitation assignment. … The Blue Jays have Monday off before visiting Cleveland to play three games against the Indians. RHP Josh Johnson (1-3, 4.89 ERA) will face RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (6-4, 4.67 ERA) in Tuesday’s opener. … The Twins open a four-game series on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field with RHP Samuel Deduno (4-3, 3.47 ERA) facing RHP Roberto Hernandez (4-10, 4.95 ERA).