MILWAUKEE — Jorge Polanco is expected to make his season debut Monday night when the Minnesota Twins open a two-game interleague series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Polanco will be reinstated Monday from his 80-game suspension for use of performance-enhancing drugs after going 6-for-13 in four games with Triple-A Rochester.
He batted .256 with 13 home runs [url=http://www.authenticsgreenbaypackers.com/cheap-marquez-valdes-scantling-jersey]Marquez Valdes-Scantling Color Rush Jersey[/url] , 30 doubles in 133 games last year and was especially strong in the second half, slashing .293/.359/.511 with 10 homers and 43 RBIs.
That performance moved him into the No. 3 spot in the Twins’ lineup, but manager Paul Molitor said he probably won’t bat that high right away upon his return.
“We know what he did last year when he had a chance to move up into a pretty important role,” Molitor told reporters Sunday in Chicago. “I don’t know we’ll jump him up there that fast. For us to see him is going to be different than hearing about him and reading about him and texting him and all those kinds of things.
Right-hander Kyle Gibson (2-6) starts for Minnesota. He posted a 2.45 ERA through his first four June starts but saw that number grow to 3.35 after allowing five runs in seven innings to the Chicago White Sox his last time out.
Gibson struck out seven in the game and walked just one but gave up a season-high 11 hits.
“Two runs, three runs … You’re going to need more to win most games,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
Despite that showing, the Brewers will return home still leading the National League Central by a half-game over the Cubs, who will be idle Monday.
Suter overcame a somewhat slow start to the season and has turned into a solid starter in the last two months. He’s 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA in his last eight starts. Before his outing against Kansas City, he hadn’t allowed more than three runs in his previous seven games.
Part of Suter’s success can be attributed to his pace, which is among the game’s fastest. That makes it difficult for hitters to settle in between pitches and, Suter admits, there can be a slight advantage to working quickly.
Suter is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two career starts against the Twins, both of which came at Target Field. He held them to a run and five hits while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings on May 18.
After a rotten finish to June, the Detroit Tigers have started July with a modest winning streak.
Jose Iglesias hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the Tigers recovered from a blown save in the ninth to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Monday, Detroit’s second straight victory following a season-long 11-game losing streak.
Detroit answered immediately in the 10th. Niko Goodrum hit a one-out triple off Seunghwan Oh (4-3) and scored the winning run when Iglesias followed with a fly ball to right.
Tigers right-hander Mike Fiers pitched a season-high eight innings, but didn’t figure in the decision and remains winless in five starts. An efficient Fiers threw just 89 pitches, including 67 strikes. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out five.
”It was a great performance,” Gardenhire said.
Making his second career start, Blue Jays left-hander Ryan Borucki struck out leadoff man Mikie Mahtook, then allowed four straight singles, including a run-scoring hit by Victor Martinez [url=http://www.authenticswashingtonredskins.com/cheap-jonathan-allen-jersey]Jonathan Allen Color Rush Jersey[/url] , who delivered his first RBI single since June 15.
Borucki recovered to retire the next 13 batters in order, a streak that ended when Maktook reached on an infield single to begin the sixth. Maktook was forced at second on Castellanos’ fielder’s choice and Candelario singled Castellanos to third before John Hicks delivered the tiebreaking grounder.
Borucki allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings.
Tigers starting pitchers have worked at least six innings in six straight games, the team’s longest such streak since July 28 to Aug. 2, 2017.
Martinez’s single in the first was No. 2,100 for his career, the eighth-most by a Venezuelan-born player.
Toronto’s Kendrys Morales started at first base but moved to third in the 10th, his first career appearance there. Toronto has used C Russell Martin at third base and shortstop this season but Martin was unavailable Monday because of a sore knee.
Tigers: Detroit put Greene and OF Leonys Martin (left hamstring) on the 10-day DL. The Tigers recalled Mahtook from Triple-A Toledo and activated LHP Daniel Stumpf off the DL. Martin was injured beating out a bunt single in Sunday’s 9-1 win, while Greene felt sore after throwing eight pitches in a scoreless ninth inning Sunday. … Following the game, Detroit optioned C Grayson Greiner to Triple-A and selected 1B Jim Aducci from Toledo. To make room on the roster, 1B Miguel Cabrera was transferred to the 60-day DL.
Blue Jays: Toronto recalled INF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from Triple-A Buffalo. He takes the place of utilityman Darnell Sweeney, who was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo following Sunday’s game.