, who gave up a home run to rookie Miguel Sano, tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts to help Seattle end a four-game losing streak. Cruz had four hits, including his 27th home run of the season, and Montero added two hits and two RBIs after being recalled from Triple-A following a series of moves by the Mariners prior to Friday's trade deadline. Tommy Milone (5-3) gave up four runs and 11 hits for Minnesota, which has lost four of five.
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Time: 08:10 P.M. EST Venue: Target Field
Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan said he has "every intention" of making a deal before his club takes the field Friday night. Twins fans can only hope that will be the case for the surprising club, which will again be without Trevor Plouffe when it continues a four-game home series with the Seattle Mariners. Minnesota (53-48) holds the AL's second wild card in a crowded race, though it has yet to make a move with glaring needs at shortstop and in the bullpen. The Twins have been one of the biggest stories in baseball after four straight seasons with at least 92 defeats, and Ryan intends to bolster the team by the deadline. They won't have Plouffe, who was placed on the paternity list after the birth of his son Teddy and missed Thursday's 9-5 victory in the series opener. He is not expected to return until Saturday, when he can add to his 55 RBIs - tied for second on the club. Seattle (46-57) is expected to get Robinson Cano back in the lineup as the designated hitter after the second baseman sat out the last two games with an abdominal strain. Brad Miller and Chris Taylor each started at second in his absence." This will be two days of rest and we'll see how it goes from there," Cano told MLB's official website. He's batting .381 with five homers and 12 RBIs in his last 11 games. Logan Morrison, in a 4-for-34 slump, is day to day after being out of Thursday's lineup with a bruised left thumb. The Mariners got two new players after trading Dustin Ackley to the New York Yankees on Thursday for right-hander Jose Ramirez and outfielder Ramon Flores, though both were sent to the minors. Twins star Joe Mauer has a .340 average in an 11-game hitting streak after he had an RBI single in five at-bats. Eddie Rosario is 11 for 21 over his past five games after driving in three runs and falling a single short of the cycle Thursday, when the club ended a four-game slide." After you go through these last four days, any win is good," manager Paul Molitor said. "It kind of lightens the mood a little bit." Rosario will get his first look at Seattle starter Taijuan Walker (7-7, 5.03 ERA), who has never faced the Twins. Walker is 0-1 with an 8.02 ERA in his last four outings after registering a 1.67 ERA in a five-start win streak. The right-hander was charged with four runs in six innings in Sunday's 6-5, 10-inning win over Toronto. His 5.84 road ERA is one of baseball's worst marks. Walker will be opposed by Tommy Milone (5-2, 3.58), who has allowed 11 runs in 8 2-3 innings since the All-Star break following a six-start stretch in which he was 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA. The left-hander is 3-4 with a 3.48 ERA in nine starts against the Mariners. Franklin Gutierrez is 5 for 11 with a homer and two doubles against him, but other Seattle hitters haven't fared as well. Mark Trumbo is 2 for 18 with eight strikeouts versus Milone, Nelson Cruz is 3 for 16, Austin Jackson is 1 for 10 and Cano is 1 for 8. Cruz, however, is hitting an AL-best .376 off lefties.
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