Park, Sano homer but Twins lose 9-3 to Blue Jays

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Twins manager Paul Molitor on Tuesday was able to see his new right fielder impact a game with his bat and his arm.

That right fielder, of course, is Miguel Sano, who threw out Troy Tulowitzki trying to stretch a single into a double and later belted a two-run home run in the Twins' 9-3 loss to Toronto.

"He got a couple of firsts out of the way for spring," Molitor said. "The assist and the homer."

Byung Ho Park homered in his second straight game to account for the Twins' other runs. Toronto scored five runs in the first, four coming on a grand slam by Darrell Ceciliani off righthander Tyler Duffey.

Tulowitzki drove a ball over Sano's head and off the wall in the fifth. Sano picked up the ball and, nearly flat-footed from the warning track, threw a strike to shortstop Wilfredo Tovar, who tagged Tulowitzki out before he reached second.

With the Twins down 8-1 in the seventh, Sano jumped on a fastball on the inner half of the plate from Steve Delabar and powered it into the trees behind the left-field wall for his first home run of spring training.

But Sano didn't hesitate when asked which play pleased him the most.

"My first guy I throw out at second base," Sano said. "I'm so happy about that."