Pirates stay patient as Polanco seeks consistency

PITTSBURGH – A year ago, Gregory Polanco was the next big thing. When the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder was called up to the big leagues last June, his arrival was viewed as a coronation.

On a team desperate for power, the impossibly raw kid with the seemingly effortless swing appeared to be the jolt the Pirates needed.

After an initial splash, Polanco plateaued and then plunged. The same player who hit .288 in his first month as a major leaguer last June is in the midst of a 7 for 57 dip that has him batting just .234 heading into Tuesday's game at Detroit.

"I knew it was going to be hard," Polanco said. "I know I just have to keep working, keep grinding, keep learning."

The lessons are coming at a furious pace for the whole world to see. While Pittsburgh sent Polanco briefly back to Triple-A Indianapolis last August, there are no plans for another stint in the minors, at least not yet.

"We still fully see the good guy that he can become," general manager Neal Huntington said. "He's battling through it. He's staying strong mentally, which is really encouraging. He still shows flashes of it, which is really encouraging. Now it's about maturing and being able to do that on a consistent basis."

Even Huntington acknowledges Polanco may have been "rushed" to the majors last summer, an emergency call-up when Neil Walker was hit by appendicitis. Things came so easily during those heady first few weeks, then expectations rose. Now they're nowhere close to being met.

As he enters his second calendar year in the majors, every step forward is met with a step back. For every leaping grab, there's a ragged route to the ball that turns opposing outs into hits. For every stolen base, an instance when his baseball IQ proves very much a work in progress.

Last Friday against Atlanta, Polanco was on first when Chris Stewart hit a ball deep into the hole at shortstop. Andrelton Simmons' throw to first was late. Polanco turned around second and kept chugging to third. One problem: teammate Jordy Mercer was already there, holding up when the ball didn't leave the infield. Polanco was tagged out in a rundown to end the inning. The Pirates pulled it out in 10 innings, but Hurdle saw another teachable moment.

"We don't stick our head in the sand," Hurdle said. "Winning can be a deodorant. I've been in situations where things are overlooked when you win, and then they're overcooked when you don't. Not so here."

Polanco's confidence remains intact. Ask him if he feels more like a big leaguer now than he did during his blistering start as a rookie and the polite, soft-spoken Dominican nods.

"I feel like I can play here," he said.

So do the Pirates, who continue to give Polanco opportunities to hit his way out of his latest slump even though they have other options.

"I do see growth," Hurdle said. "I love the layer of toughness he's going to have to add to get through this, the mental and the physical."

Part of Polanco's problem is the adjustment pitchers have made now that there is ample tape on his lengthy lefty swing. He's consistently falling behind in counts, forcing him to stab at pitches low in the zone to avoid a strikeout. Those jabs too often turn into groundballs. That's not what Polanco or the Pirates had in mind for a player with the tools to be a gap-to-gap hitter with an occasional homer mixed in.

"You see some really good swings and you see some swings that look predetermined, that look anxious, that look like a guy that is trying to get seven hits in one at bat," Huntington said. "I hope he feels the support we have for him as an organization. We also have expectations."

A positive sign came late in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Braves. Polanco entered as a pinch hitter with two outs in the ninth and the tying run on second. Atlanta closer Jason Grilli quickly jumped ahead of Polanco 0-2 only to have Polanco foul off a couple of mid-90s fastballs while working the count full. He struck out at a ball in the dirt but Hurdle praised Polanco for "a battle at-bat," proof that his young outfielder is getting it together.

"You've got to get personal with it," Hurdle said. "This isn't a 'swing pretty' kind of time, it's 'get busy with work' time. … (He has) to understand they are trying to send you back to Triple-A. They're trying to run you out of the big leagues."

No chance. At least, not yet.

"I'm a lot more comfortable here than I was a year ago," Polanco said. "I'm hitting balls hard in the cage. Now I just need to go out and do it in front of people."

Indians 7, Rays 1: Rookie Cody Anderson took a bid for a perfect game into the seventh inning in his second major league start, and the struggling Cleveland Indians snapped a three-game losing streak with a 7-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Anderson (1-0) didn't allow a baserunner until Grady Sizemore homered against his old team on a 1-2 pitch with one out in the seventh. Evan Longoria followed with a single before the 24-year-old right-hander settled to retire the last four batters he faced.

Yan Gomes had three hits, including a solo homer in the eighth for the Indians, who limped into town after being shut out in both games of a doubleheader at Baltimore on Sunday. Michael Brantley also had three hits, including a RBI single, and Jason Kipnis drove in a run off rookie Nathan Karns (4-4) with one of his three hits.

Astros 6, Royals 1: Chris Carter and Jose Altuve homered to back a solid start by rookie Lance McCullers, and Houston beat Kansas City.

In a matchup of teams with the best records in the American League, Houston snapped Kansas City's four-game winning streak. The Royals are 44-29 and the Astros are 45-34.

McCullers (4-2) allowed four hits and a run with six strikeouts in seven innings in his ninth major league start.

The Astros jumped on Joe Blanton (2-1) for five runs in the first three innings and Carter added a solo home run in the fifth to help them to the win.

Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 1: Clay Buchholz pitched eight strong innings to win his third straight start, Xander Bogaerts drove in two runs and Boston beat Toronto.

Buchholz (6-6) improved to 10-3 with a 2.21 ERA in 15 career starts in Toronto as the Red Sox won back-to-back games for the first time since June 19.

The Blue Jays have scored a major league-leading 421 runs but have totaled just four in their past three games.

Buchholz allowed one run and five hits in matching his longest outing of the season. He's won four straight decisions since losing at Minnesota on May 26.

Koji Uehara finished for his 17th save.

Reds 11, Twins 7: Billy Hamilton scored three times in the first three innings to help Cincinnati open a huge lead, and the Reds held on against Minnesota.

The Reds sent 10 batters to the plate for five runs and a 9-1 lead in the third inning, when Mike Pelfrey (5-5) failed to retire any of the four batters he faced. Pelfrey gave up eight runs — matching his season high — and nine hits, retiring only six of 17 batters.

Cincinnati's Mike Leake let most of the lead slip away. Ten Twins batted during a six-run rally in the top of the fourth inning. Brian Dozier's three-run homer off Leake cut it to 9-7.

Nate Adcock (1-1) got the victory with two scoreless innings in relief of Leake.

Royals: Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar has been scratched from the Royals game against the Houston Astros with a finger injury.

Escobar left the game on Sunday after suffering the injury, but was originally in Monday's lineup. He was scratched about an hour before game time.

He was replaced at shortstop by Christian Colon.

First baseman Eric Hosmer was also out of the lineup with a sprained left ring finger. He was injured on Saturday and left Sunday's game early with the problem.

Manager Ned Yost isn't sure when Hosmer will return, but it likely won't be in this series, which ends Wednesday.

Red Sox: Outfielder Hanley Ramirez could return to the Red Sox lineup this week after an MRI on his injured left hand confirmed no structural damage.

Ramirez is batting .283 and leads Boston with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs. He's missed the past four games after being hit by teammate Xander Bogaerts' line drive in last Wednesday's win over Baltimore.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said Ramirez would hit in the cage when he arrived in Toronto, where the Red Sox began a four-game series Monday.

"The optimistic view is that he'd be back in the lineup while we're here," Farrell said.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia (right hamstring) is improving, Farrell said, and is expected to take batting practice during the series in Toronto.

Ryan Hanigan (broken right hand) is catching the first game and will DH the second game of a doubleheader at Double-A Portland on Monday. He's expected to come off the 60-day disabled list when he's eligible Wednesday.

Rangers: Josh Hamilton is ready to return to the major leagues, even at less than 100 percent.

Sidelined since June 4 with a strained left hamstring, Hamilton proclaimed himself "good to go" Monday. The outfielder expects to be activated from the disabled list by the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

Hamilton was with the Rangers on Monday, but was told he would be sitting out the opener of a four-game series against the Orioles.

"They wanted to give me a recovery day after travelling, so I'm on board with that," he said.

It's been a trying year for Hamilton, who started the year with the Los Angeles Angels on the disabled list, recovering from shoulder surgery. He was traded to Texas in April and finally returned from the disabled list on May 25, only to play in seven games before hurting his hamstring.

Thus, his willingness to return to center field despite operating at less than peak efficiency.

"Right now it's comfortable to a certain extent," Hamilton said. "I think for me, the biggest thing is going into the All-Star break playing a few games under control — whether it be 80 or 85 percent — then getting a few days' rest. Then coming back and getting after it for the second half."

During his brief stint in the last week of May, Hamilton hit .273 with two doubles, two homers and five RBIs. He's itching for more, although he concedes that he likely won't be an everyday player until after the All-Star break.

MLB: Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson and Seattle designated hitter Nelson Cruz have moved ahead in fan voting for starting spots in the All-Star Game, leaving five Kansas City Royals still in the lead.

Major League Baseball released the results Monday, and voting continues through Thursday night. MLB said more than 500 million votes had been cast.

The starters will be announced Sunday, with the pitchers, reserves and candidates for the final spot to be presented Monday. The game is July 14 in Cincinnati.

Royals outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon, catcher Salvador Perez, shortstop Alcides Escobar and second baseman Omar Infante hold leads. Infante is about 230,000 votes ahead of Houston's Jose Altuve.