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November 23, 2008 8:56:45 CST

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Matt Stairs homers, scores twice to give Blue Jays' offense a lift in 5-3 win over Twins

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI | Associated Press | May 13, 08 10:18 PM CDT in Sports 

Matt Stairs homered and scored twice for the struggling Blue Jays' offense in Toronto's 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Toronto Blue Jays' Aaron Hill, right, falls over Minnesota Twins' Carlos Gomez (22) after getting the force out at second base during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in Minneapolis....   (Associated Press)
Toronto Blue Jays' Lyle Overbay, left, congratulates teammate Matt Stairs after Stairs' solo home run off Minnesota Twins pitcher Kevin Slowey during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13,...   (Associated Press)
Toronto Blue Jays' Jesse Litsch pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)   (Associated Press)
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Jesse Litsch, right, leaves the mound after giving the ball to manager John Gibbons during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday,...   (Associated Press)
Minnesota Twins' Carlos Gomez steps into a pitch delivered by Toronto Blue Jays' Jesse Litsch for a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in Minneapolis.(AP Photo/Tom...   (Associated Press)
Minnesota Twins' Kevin Slowey pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid)   (Associated Press)
Toronto Blue Jays' Greg Zaun, right, scores as Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer looks around after missing the ball during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in Minneapolis....   (Associated Press)
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Lyle Overbay and former Twin Shannon Stewart each had two hits, including RBI-doubles, for the Jays, who scored at least five runs in a game for just the second time in the last 10 games.

Carlos Gomez and Jason Kubel hit solo homers for Minnesota, but reliever Dennys Reyes was charged with his first earned run of the season after a so-so start from Kevin Slowey (0-3), and the Twins lost at home for just the second time in 13 games.

After scoring 27 runs in taking three of four from the Red Sox over the weekend, the Twins took a big step back against Jesse Litsch (5-1) and the Jays.

Litsch threw just 70 pitches while giving up two runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings, and the Twins could only scrape together one more run against relievers Jesse Carlson, Jason Frasor, Armando Benitez, Scott Downs and B.J. Ryan, who picked up his sixth save in as many tries.

The Blue Jays have been as miserable offensively in May as the Twins were in April. Toronto snapped a 31 1-3-inning scoreless streak with three runs in the 10th to beat Cleveland in the second game of a doubleheader on Monday night.

The last-place Jays scored just four runs in the four-game series against the Indians and became the first team in nearly 20 years not to score a run in the first nine innings of both games of a doubleheader.

Using a patient approach against Slowey, who needed 107 pitches to get through his 5 2-3 innings, the Blue Jays got run-scoring doubles from Overbay and Stewart in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead.

Scott Rolen then worked Slowey over in a 15-pitch at-bat in the sixth that ended with a groundout to shortstop, softening the righthander up for Stairs, who sent the second pitch of his at-bat soaring into the upper deck in right field for a 3-1 lead.

Toronto tacked on two more off relievers Matt Guerrier and Reyes, but the night could have been much bigger if the offense truly clicked. The Jays left eight runners on base, including six in scoring position.

They managed just one run in the eighth after having the bases loaded with nobody out and Rolen struck out with the bases loaded to end the seventh and Alex Rios whiffed three times as well.

Notes:@ Overbay got caught in a hard-luck double play in the second inning when Stewart hit a line drive right at Twins 2B Brendan Harris. Assuming it was going to be caught, Overbay trotted back to first. But the ball popped out of Harris' glove, and he quickly started a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. ... Gomez was charged with an error in the first inning when his throw from CF on a single by Hill sailed over SS Adam Everett's head and into the Twins dugout, allowing Hill to go to 3B.

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