Twins rock Dickey, shut out Blue Jays

By IAN HARRISON

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 4:53 p.m. ET July 6, 2013

TORONTO (AP) - R.A. Dickey has been hurt by the longball a lot this season, and Saturday was no different.

Brian Dozier hit a three-run home run, Mike Pelfrey and three relievers combined for a four-hitter and the Minnesota Twins beat Dickey and the Toronto Blue Jays 6-0.

Dozier's homer was the 19th allowed by Dickey in 19 starts this season.

"I gave up another three-run home run, which has kind of been my bane this year," Dickey said. "That's not ordinary for me."

Dickey (8-9) had won three of his previous four starts, including a two-hit shutout of Tampa Bay on June 26 and seven solid innings in an 8-3 win over Detroit on Monday. But he wasn't as effective in this one, giving up six runs and seven hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.

"He pretty much held them in check until that big three-run home run late," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Dickey has allowed six runs or more in seven of his 19 starts.

"I felt pretty good, gave up a couple of hits with runners in scoring position," Dickey said. "For the most part I was right in my lane and threw a whole lot of strikes."

Toronto starters have allowed six runs or more in four of the past five games, but Gibbons isn't concerned.

"This is our rotation, we like it," Gibbons said. "You ride it out. We think they're going to pitch good the rest of the way out."

Maicer Izturis had three of Toronto's four hits as the Blue Jays lost for the seventh time in 10 games. Slugger Jose Bautista, who hit his 20th homer Friday, flied out to the warning track twice.

The Blue Jays used a trio of two-out walks to load the bases in the first against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey but Rajai Davis grounded out to end the threat.

"We couldn't get anything going, that's the bottom line," Gibbons said. "We had that opportunity, it was really our only opportunity, in the first, and came up empty."

Dozier had two hits and four RBIs, connecting off Dickey for his eighth homer as the Twins snapped a six-game skid and won for just the fourth time in 14 games.

Minnesota came in having lost 17 of 23 to Toronto, including eight of nine at Rogers Centre.

Pitching for the first time since June 18 after landing on the disabled list with a strained back, Pelfrey (4-6) snapped an eight-start winless streak to earn his first victory since May 5 at Cleveland. He allowed three hits in six innings, walked three and struck out two.

Caleb Thielbar worked the seventh, Jared Burton pitched the eighth and Glen Perkins finished.

"It was a great pitching effort," Twins catcher Joe Mauer said. "To shut that team out is pretty good."

Pelfrey said he tweaked his left groin in the shaky first, but was able to keep pitching.

"He said he just made an adjustment in his windup and everything went good from there," Gardenhire said. "It's fine, he pitched through it no problems and he'll be fine for his next start."

Chris Parmalee doubled to begin the second and moved to third on Aaron Hicks' single but was caught in a rundown after Dickey snared Eduardo Escobar's comebacker, leaving men at first and second. After the runners moved up on a passed ball, Dozier hit an RBI grounder, Jamey Carroll hit an RBI double and Mauer followed with a run-scoring single.

Parmalee doubled off Dickey again to open the seventh and Hicks walked but Parmalee was forced at third on Escobar's bunt. Dozier followed with his first home run since June 21.

"A three-run home run is tough to overcome when you've already given up three," Dickey said.

Twins outfielder Oswaldo Garcia suffered a bruised right hand when he was hit by a pitch from Dickey in the sixth. He stayed in the game but was replaced by Clete Thomas in the bottom of the seventh. X-rays were negative and Arcia is day-to-day.

NOTES: After two rehab games with Class-A Lansing, Toronto 3B Brett Lawrie (left ankle) has moved up to Double-A New Hampshire, where he'll play Saturday night. Lawrie has been out since May 28. ... The Blue Jays activated RHP Kyle Drabek (shoulder surgery) off the disabled list and assigned him to Class-A Dunedin to continue his rehab. Drabek takes the 40-man roster spot of RHP Chien-Ming Wang, who is at Triple-A Buffalo. ... The Blue Jays signed RHP Clinton Hollon, their second round pick in last month's draft.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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