TORONTO (Interstat) — A five-run fourth inning, capped by a two-run homer from catcher Brandon Valenzuela, erased an early four-run deficit and propelled the Toronto Blue Jays to a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Rogers Centre.

A crowd of 40,721 watched the Blue Jays (6-7) rally from a 4-0 hole after the first inning, battering Twins pitching for 14 hits to even their three-game series opener. The Twins fell to 7-7.

The game’s decisive shift came in the bottom of the fourth. The Twins had just extended their lead to 4-0 in the top half on a solo homer from Brooks Lee, but Toronto’s offense erupted against Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson and reliever Taylor Rogers.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double and scored on a Jesús Sánchez double. After a pop out, Davis Schneider drove in Sánchez with another double. An RBI single from Andrés Giménez cut the deficit to 4-3, bringing Valenzuela to the plate with one on. The Toronto catcher then launched his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to right field that gave the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead they would not relinquish.

That inning transformed the game. The Twins had seized immediate control in the first against Toronto starter Patrick Corbin. After two quick outs, Austin Martin and Luke Keaschall singled, setting the stage for Ryan Jeffers. The Minnesota catcher hammered a three-run homer to left-center field, staking his team to a 3-0 advantage before many fans had settled into their seats.

Jeffers was a bright spot for Minnesota, finishing 3 for 3 with the homer, three RBIs, and a hit-by-pitch. Lee added a solo homer in the fourth for the Twins’ other run. Minnesota managed only seven hits total, with five coming in the first four innings.

After Valenzuela’s go-ahead homer, the Blue Jays’ bullpen took over, silencing the Twins’ bats over the final five innings. Five Toronto relievers combined to allow just one hit and one walk while striking out nine.

Braydon Fisher was particularly dominant, firing two perfect innings with four strikeouts. Joe Mantiply (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning, striking out the side. Louis Varland and Tommy Nance also contributed scoreless relief outings.

The Blue Jays steadily added to their lead. Daulton Varsho led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to right-center. In the sixth, an RBI double from Ernie Clement and a run-scoring double from George Springer made it 8-4. Schneider added an RBI single in the seventh, and Guerrero Jr. capped the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth, his third hit of the night.

Woods Richardson (0-2) took the loss for Minnesota, charged with five runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings. Rogers was tagged for three runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief.

The Blue Jays’ offensive outburst was widespread. Guerrero Jr. went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two doubles. Valenzuela finished 2 for 4 with the two-run homer. Varsho had two hits, including his homer, and Schneider collected two hits and two RBIs.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-3 Twins victory. However, Toronto’s win aligned with the same service’s ELO system, which gave the Blue Jays a 64.7% probability to win. The combined 14 runs went under the posted over/under line of 9.5.

The victory moves Toronto closer to the .500 mark as they continue a six-game homestand. The Twins, who had won four straight games coming in, saw that streak snapped decisively.

The two teams continue their series Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.