Right-hander Chad Jenkins makes the third start of his big- league career Tuesday when the Toronto Blue Jays host the Minnesota Twins in the second of three games at Rogers Centre.
The 20th overall pick in the 2009 draft, Jenkins reached the majors with the Blue Jays on Aug. 7 in Tampa Bay and tossed three scoreless innings of relief in a 4-1 Toronto loss.
He came out of the bullpen 11 consecutive times and carried a 4.91 earned run average across those outings, then debuted as a starter on Sept. 23 - again in Tampa Bay - and allowed a run on two hits in five innings of a 3-1 loss.
One start since yielded another loss after Jenkins allowed three runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings while he dropped an 11-4 verdict to the New York Yankees on Sept. 28.
The Blue Jays have yet to win a game in which Jenkins has pitched, going 0-12.
He has never faced the Twins.
Minnesota opposes him with righty Anthony Swarzak, who starts for the fifth time in 2012 in his 44th appearance.
The 27-year-old last won on Sept. 1 in Kansas City after allowing two runs on a hit in a 2 2/3-inning relief outing in an 8-7 victory.
He's 0-1 in seven appearances since while his season earned run average crept up from 4.68 to 4.91.
In one career relief outing against Toronto, Swarzak pitched three scoreless innings and allowed two hits with three strikeouts.
In 252 2/3 career big-league innings, he's allowed an opposition batting average of .287.
On Monday, Anthony Gose hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Blue Jays rallied from an early three-run deficit to down the Twins, 6-5.
With Adeiny Hechavarria on second with two outs in the 10th, Gose hit a RBI single back up the middle to cap the comeback, bringing in the winning run off Minnesota reliever Brian Duensing (4-12).
The Blue Jays, who trailed 4-1 after five innings, tied the game at 5-5 when Yan Gomes hit a 1-0 fastball off Glen Perkins over the fence with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Brandon Lyon (4-0) picked up the win for the Blue Jays by pitching a scoreless top of the 10th, although he had to work himself out of a bases-loaded jam.
Adam Lind went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI and Jeff Mathis had a double and knocked in two runs for Toronto, which has now won two of its last three games.
Minnesota's Esmerling Vasquez, making his sixth career start, pitched well in the no-decision, giving the Twins 5 2/3 innings and surrendering three runs on six hits with one strikeout and three walks.
Aaron Laffey lasted five innings for Toronto, giving up four runs - three earned - on eight hits. He struck out none and walked none.
Trevor Plouffe had two hits - including a two-run homer - and three RBI for the Twins, while Jamey Carroll went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in defeat.
The teams split a four-game series in May in Minnesota, their only previous meeting of the 2012 season. The Blue Jays won five of six games between the teams in 2011 and haven't lost the season series since 2005.
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