TORONTO (AP) -- David Price struck out 11 over eight innings to win his Blue Jays debut, Josh Donaldson hit a tiebreaking home run and Toronto beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 in the opener of a four-game series between AL wild-card contenders.
Price (10-4) allowed one run and three hits. He threw 119 pitches, two shy of his season high.
Acquired from Detroit last Thursday for a trio of minor league left-handers, Price received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 45,766 as he walked in from the bullpen before the game.
NBA All-Star Kevin Durant was among those on hand to watch Price work on a sunny afternoon.
 
Price dominant in Toronto debut, Blue Jays beat Twins 5-1
 
The lefty retired the last 15 batters he faced. He tipped his cap as he walked to the dugout after the eighth.
Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, another of Toronto's deadline additions, singled off Ervin Santana (2-2) to begin the fifth and scored on Donaldson's 27th homer, an opposite field drive to right.
Price struck out the first two batters and set down four straight before Torii Hunter homered in the second. It was the 12th home run surrendered by Price in 10 career starts at Rogers Centre.
Ryan Goins tied it in the bottom half with a solo homer off Santana.
Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth, but Price got Eddie Rosario to pop out, caught Aaron Hicks looking and struck out Kurt Suzuki on a 97 mph fastball to end the threat.
LaTroy Hawkins finished in the ninth as the Blue Jays (55-52) closed to within percentage points of the Twins (54-51).
Price's 11 strikeouts were the most by any pitcher in his Blue Jays debut. Roger Clemens struck out nine White Sox on April 2, 1997.
Santana lost his second straight start, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings.
Edwin Encarnacion and Justin Smoak made it 5-1 with RBI singles off Blaine Boyer in the seventh.
 

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