Blue Jays at Twins
The Toronto Blue Jays got their seven-game road trip off to a rousing start with a comeback victory and look to make it two in a row when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night for the second of four contests. Teoscar Hernandez belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning among three hits overall Monday as Toronto rallied for a 5-3 victory - just its second in seven road games.
Hernandez boasts six RBIs in his last five contests and fellow outfielder Randal Grichuk is 6-for-16 during a four-game hitting streak for the Blue Jays, who have won just four times in their last 14 outings since starting the season 2-1. Aaron Sanchez hopes to go a little longer in his fourth start of the season after totaling 16 innings in his first three when he takes the mound Tuesday for Toronto while the Twins counter with fellow right-hander Kyle Gibson, who gave up 14 hits in fewer than 10 innings during his first two outings. C.J. Cron launched his second homer of the season - a three-run shot - to give Minnesota the lead Monday before the bullpen coughed it up to end a four-game winning streak against the Blue Jays. Shortstop Jorge Polanco registered at least three hits for the third time this season in the series opener to raise his batting average to .420 with three doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs.
TV: 7:40 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One (Toronto), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 1.69 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (0-0, 7.71)
Sanchez allowed four runs - one earned - on five hits and four walks at Boston last time out without factoring in the decision of a 7-6 setback. The 26-year-old California native won his season debut with five scoreless frames against Detroit before suffering a loss at Cleveland on April 4 despite six innings of two-run ball. Jonathan Schoop is 9-for-28 with a homer versus Sanchez, who beat Minnesota last year while permitting four runs over six innings.
Gibson did not get through five innings in each of his first two starts this season, giving up a total of nine runs (eight earned) across 9 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old Indiana native, who won 10 games with a 3.62 ERA in 2018, has struck out eight and walked five in the early going while serving up three homers. Justin Smoak is just 3-for-13 with two RBIs against Gibson, who limited Toronto to two runs over five innings in one outing last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota 3B Marwin Gonzalez was rested Monday after a 5-for-34 start to the season with nine strikeouts.
2. Toronto added INF Eric Sogard to the roster Monday while 2B Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was sent to Triple-A Buffalo.
3. Twins CF Byron Buxton, who launched four homers during the spring after an injury-plagued 2018, has yet to go deep in 12 games.