Mauer launches first HR of year -- to a rare spot
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer smashed his first homer of the season, a solo shot Tuesday against the Blue Jays that gave the Twins a first-inning lead. They couldn't hold on, though, losing 7-4 in 10 innings.
The 403-foot blast left Mauer's bat at 102.8 mph, according to Statcast™, and cleared the right-center-field wall, an unusual area of the ballpark for the first baseman to homer to: Mauer hits the majority of his fly balls to left field, and only hit one homer last season to right. This season was the second in a row in which Mauer's first homer did not come until May; his first long ball in 2017 was on May 2.
Mauer entered the day leading the American League with a .456 on-base percentage. The early offense was a welcome sign for a Twins team that hadn't scored in the first inning since Friday.