Buxton homers twice but Twins blow late lead and lose to Blue Jays

The Minnesota Twins just couldn't hold onto the lead Wednesday night in a 9-8 loss to Toronto, despite a powerful effort from Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee.

The Twins' trio combined for four home runs, including the 26th and 27th of the season for Buxton, who played in his 100th game of the season. It marks only the third time in his MLB career that he's reached 100 games in a season, having done it in 2024 (102 games) and 2017 (140 games).

Buxton slugged his homers in the first inning (a leadoff shot) and third inning. Keaschall also homered in the third inning for his fourth of the season and second in as many days. Lee then ripped his 15th home run of 2025 in the fifth inning to give the Twins a 7-5 lead.

Subscribe: Sign up to receive the free Twins On SI newsletter

After a Royce Lewis RBI single put Minnesota head 8-5 later in the fifth, the Blue Jays took over, scoring one run in the sixth and then three in the eighth to take a 9-8 lead — highlighted by Ty France, whom the Twins traded to Toronto at the July 31 trade deadline, hitting a solo homer.

Toronto made sure to pay its respects to the victims of Wednesday's mass shooting at a church in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and 17 others, including 14 children, were wounded when a 23-year-old gunman opened fire during a morning mass.