DUNEDIN — Carlos Gomez opened the game with a bunt single to second baseman Russ Adams, who charged the ball and didn’t even have time to make a throw. Gomez stole second base on the next pitch from A.J. Burnett, moved to third on Nick Punto’s textbook bouncer to first and scored on an infield single by Delmon Young.

In other words, we’re under way.

There’s a steady 20-25 mph wind blowing straight in from right field, so this is bound to wreak havoc. Glen Perkins walked Alex Rios to open the Toronto first, and Gregg Zaun followed with a single before Ron Gardenhire made a mound visit. Pitching coach, Rick Anderson, is back in Fort Myers watching some other lefthander pitch.

Now that’s an effective mound visit. Perkins pitched out of the first-inning jam, retiring Matt Stairs, Frank Thomas and Lyle Overbay.

(*) Anderson is never going to hear the end of this from Gardy. Perkins wound up retiring nine of the final 10 batters he faced — all after that mound visit.

Perkins’ line: 3IP, 2H, 0 R, 1 B, 3K.

He threw 43 pitches, 32 for strikes.

(*) Philip Humber came in to pitch in the fourth inning. Adam Everett just made the best play I’ve seen him make this spring, diving toward center field to steal a hit from Frank Thomas, and throwing him out easily at first.

(*) Everett led off the fifth inning with a double, and Gomez followed with a run-scoring triple. Pure entertainment. In a move-him-over situation, Gomez swings and misses with another huge hack. But he goes on to hit a ball down the right-field line, off the end of the bat. The ball landed just fair and spun into foul territory.

Right fielder Adam Lind tried to corral it, but there was no stopping Gomez, who flew around the bases — nearly tripping between second and third, of course. Nick Punto scored him with a safety squeeze bunt to first base. No way Gomez needed to slide. First baseman Lyle Overbay only had one play, at first base. But Gomez still slid home feet first, twisting a bit for added style points.

I forgot to mention earlier that in Gomez’s second bat, Burnett appeared to throw at him twice. Both pitches were at the legs, forcing Gomez to move his feet. But the hard-throwing righthander didn’t seem to appreciate that first-inning bunt.

(*) Humber allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings. Throw in his 1-2-3 outing in his last appearance, and he’s starting to distance himself from the Concordia performance.

(*) Home run Randy Ruiz. Wow. He just crushed a pitch over the left field wall.

(*) Kevin Mulvey tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning, and a 1-2-3 seventh.

(*) Julio DePaula basically got five outs in the eighth, as errors by 2B Alexi Casilla and 3B Matt Macri helped the Blue Jays load the bases with one out. But DePaula got Matt Watson to ground into an inning-ending double play, keeping the Twins’ shutout bid intact.

(*) Ricky Barrett escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth by getting a double play — sweet turn by 2B Casilla and SS Matt Tolbert. Even sweeter, because this game ended in a swift 2:17.

TWINS

1. Carlos Gomez, CF

2. Nick Punto, 2B

3. Delmon Young, LF

4. Garrett Jones, RF

5. Randy Ruiz, DH

6. Brian Buscher, 1B (Thanks for the heads up on earlier typo, T.)

7. Matt Macri, 3B

8. Jose Morales, C

9. Adam Everett, SS

Starting pitcher: LH Glen Perkins

Blue Jays

1. Alex Rios, CF

2. Gregg Zaun, C

3. Matt Stairs, LF

4. Frank Thomas, DH

5. Lyle Overbay, 1B

6. Adam Lind, RF

7. John McDonald, SS

8. Joe Inglett, 3B

9. Russ Adams, 2B

Starting pitcher: RH A.J. Burnett

Knology Park. First pitch, 12:05 p.m. (Central).

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