Advertisement

Josh Donaldson smashes three home runs in win over Twins

Welcome to The Walk Off, the nightly MLB recap from Big League Stew. Here we’ll look at the top performers of the night, show you a must-see highlight and rundown the scoreboard. First, we start with a game you need to know about.

The race for the American League MVP award just got cloudier Sunday. Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson announced his presence with authority, bashing three home runs during a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]

Donaldson’s first blast came in a big spot for the Blue Jays. With the game tied in the third inning, Donaldson hit a 92 mph fastball from Kyle Gibson to left to give his club the early 2-1 lead.

They would need his pop again in the seventh. This time, Donaldson struck with his team trailing by one run. With a man on first, Donaldson again gave Toronto the lead. He once again feasted on a fastball, hitting a 94 mph heater from Pat Light to center field.

In the eighth, he added to that lead. On the fourth pitch of his at-bat against Alex Wimmers, Donaldson clobbered an 87 mph changeup to center for his third and final home run of the game.

Josh Donaldson admired a lot of baseballs Sunday. (Getty Images/Tom Szczerbowski)
Josh Donaldson admired a lot of baseballs Sunday. (Getty Images/Tom Szczerbowski)

The Blue Jays went on to win the game 9-6, so Donaldson did not have an opportunity at a record-tying fourth home run during the ninth inning. He finished the contest 3-for-4, with three runs scored and four RBI.

Coming into the contest, Donaldson ranked fourth in the AL with a 6.4 fWAR. He barely trails Jose Altuve, who sits in second with a 6.6 fWAR. Following Sunday’s game, Donaldson may have already overtaken Altuve. If things play out like last year, Donaldson could be on his way to taking away Mike Trout’s award again.

TOP PERFORMERS

JOE PANIK: San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik led the way during the club’s 13-4 blowout over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Panik, who isn’t known for his pop, smashed two home runs in the rout. The first came on a solo shot in the second inning that gave the Giants the early 2-1 lead. Two innings later, Panik padded that lead, this time hitting a two-run shot to put the Giants up by three runs. He finished the day 3-for-4, with two runs scored and four RBI.

KEVIN GAUSMAN: With Chris Tillman currently on the disabled list, the Baltimore Orioles need one of their pitchers to take a step forward down the stretch. Kevin Gausman proved to be more than capable of taking on that role during Sunday’s 5-0 victory over the New York Yankees. Gausman tossed seven scoreless frames during the contest. He allowed seven hits, but did not issue a walk. Gausman struck out nine, earning his sixth win of the year.

COREY DICKERSON: Corey Dickerson got the Tampa Bay Rays going during Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Houston Astros. In the third inning, Dickerson doubled, and then came around to increase the team’s lead to 2-0. A few innings later, he smashed a three-run homer to put the nail in the Rays’ coffin. Dickerson finished the night 2-for-4, with two runs scored and three RBI.

MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHT

The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t afford to make any mistakes during Sunday’s narrow 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Thankfully, Adrian Gonzalez is as slick as they come as it relates to fielding.

Gonzalez flashed the leather at a time when the Dodgers needed him the most. With the game scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, the Cubs were threatening with men on first and third. On the 1-1 pitch, Jason Heyward smoked a line drive near the first base line.

For a split second, it looked as though the Cubs were going to take the lead. Not so fast. Gonzalez was not only in position to make the play, but had the reflexes to quickly lunge to his right and snag the ball. According to Statcast, the ball came off Heyward’s bat at 102 mph. Pretty impressive glove work from the 34-year-old veteran first baseman.

THE REST OF THE SCOREBOARD

Royals 10, Red Sox 4: Kansas City exploded for an eight-run sixth inning. Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes allowed five earned runs without recording an out during the frame.

Angels 5, Tigers 0: Tyler Skaggs notched six scoreless innings. Jefry Marte homered and added a sac fly, finishing with three RBI.

Phillies 5, Mets 1: Vince Velásquez gave up just one run over five innings. New Phillie A.J. Ellis gave his club the lead with a two-run double in the seventh inning.

Padres 3, Marlins 1: Luis Perdomo tossed a complete game, giving up just one run and striking out three during the performance.

Rockies 5, Nationals 3: Nolan Arenado could not be stopped. The third baseman went 4-for-4, with a home run and three RBI during the victory.

White Sox 4, Mariners 1: Carlos Rodon allowed just one run over six innings. He was supported by Justin Morneau, who gave Chicago an early lead with a two-run single.

Pirates 3, Brewers 1: Ivan Nova tossed another solid game, giving up just one run over six innings. Starling Marte went 3-for-4, with a home run and a stolen base.

Athletics 7, Cardinals 4: Stephen Vogt picked up four RBI during the win. Three came on a home run in the third inning. He added the fourth on a sac fly later in the contest.

Rangers 2, Indians 1: Carlos Beltran found a way to inspire his team even though he didn’t play. Derek Holland picked up a quality start.

Diamondbacks 11, Reds 2: A.J. Pollack went 3-for-4, scoring two runs and stealing two bases. Yasmany Tomas drilled a three-run homer.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik