TORONTO – Norichika Aoki watched the pitch heading his way, a "fastball" that didn't even reach a measly 87 miles per hour and was aimed for the middle of the strike zone. Aoki swung as hard as he could — and watched the ball travel 100 feet, mostly straight up. As his popup headed back to earth, Aoki gripped his bat with two hands and slammed it into the Rogers Centre turf in anger.
If any at-bat summed up the Blue Jays' feelings about facing Bartolo Colon, it was that one. The Twins' righthander put on one of the more mesmerizing — or exasperating, depending on your loyalties — magic shows of the season Friday. Colon threw 96 pitches, roughly 85 of them fastballs but fewer than a dozen threatening 90 mph, got knocked around for nine hits, didn't strike out a single Blue Jay, but somehow emerged with a confounding, yet convincing 6-1 victory over Toronto.
"I didn't pay much attention to [Aoki's frustration]. … We have to win sometimes, too, as pitchers," Colon said playfully after improving to 4-1 in August. "I always pitch well here, and that's good."
It was good for the Twins, because they rarely pitch well here. Colon delivered Paul Molitor's first win as a manager in a ballpark he starred in as a player. June 11, 2014, was the date of the last Minnesota victory here; the Twins were 0-7 in Toronto since that date.
"It was a fun game. An outstanding start by Bartolo," Molitor said. "Bartolo spread out some hits along the way, but made a lot of quality pitches, too."
Justin Smoak wasn't impressed by Colon's virtuoso performance, collecting a double, a single, a walk and his 35th home run of the year, the latter on an 81-mph changeup that he crushed into the seats in left-center.
But Smoak's big night meant little because Colon simply retired Jose Bautista, batting right behind him, all three times he was given a chance, with all three times ending Toronto's inning.
Colon also helped the Twins, who had lost two straight games, keep their improbable grip on a playoff spot, if only by a half-game.
