TORONTO (AP) - Martin Perez and two relievers combined on a three-hitter, Eddie Rosario hit his AL-leading 12th home run and the Twins blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 on Monday night at Rogers Center.
Coupled with Cleveland's 9-1 loss to the White Sox, the Twins extended their lead over the Indians in the AL Central to three full games.
Perez walked two and struck out a career-high nine. He's 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA in five starts since opening the season in the bullpen.
"I believe in what I have right now and I trust my stuff," Perez said.
Perez (5-0) won his fourth straight start. The left-hander allowed two hits, both singles, in seven innings, his second straight scoreless outing. He pitched eight shutout innings against Houston on May 1.
"He's missed a good amount of bats this year," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He's missed bats and he's finding new ways to miss bats."
Ryne Harper worked the eighth and Matt Magill pitched around Randal Grichuk's two-out single in the ninth.
Rosario began the day in a four-way tie for the AL home run lead with Seattle's Jay Bruce, Texas' Joey Gallo, and New York's Gary Sanchez. Milwaukee's Christian Yelich had a ML-leading 15 home runs going into Monday's games.
Jason Castro homered and had three RBIs before leaving with a sore right elbow after he was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning. Castro is day to day.
Rosario also drove in three runs and Jorge Polanco had three hits, including a solo homer.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo was ejected for the first time in his career in the fifth inning. Plate umpire Adam Hamari tossed Montoyo for arguing after Toronto's Brandon Drury was called out on a low pitch.
Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0 for 3, dropping his average to .152. He struck out looking twice and grounded into a double play.
Rosario had an RBI groundout in the first and Castro hit a second-deck homer off Toronto's Marcus Stroman in the second. The Twins got two more in the third on Castro's RBI groundout and Byron Buxton's RBI double.
Rosario chased Stroman with a two-out solo drive in the fifth, and Polanco went deep off Daniel Hudson in the seventh.
Rosario drove in his third run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Toronto was shut out for the third time this season. The Blue Jays have lost six of seven.
Stroman (1-5) allowed five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. It's the second straight start he's failed to complete the fifth, and the second straight in which he's given up five or more runs.
Castro's homer was the first allowed by Stroman this season, and the first he'd allowed since Aug. 17, 2018, when he gave up a two-run homer to Yankees outfielder Neil Walker.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins righthanded pitcher Addison Reed (left thumb) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Reed has not pitched for the Twins this season.
UP NEXT
Twins righthander Jose Berrios (5-1, 2.91) will try to set a new career-high by winning his fifth straight start. The Jays go with Aaron Sanchez (3-2, 3.09), who is 3-0 with a 4.32 ERA in four career starts against Minnesota.