Mike Pelfrey Starts Perfect, Doesn’t Stay That Way & Minnesota Twins Lose
Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
It was all good until I went to a fish fry. That’s the name of my someday autobiography and really how the game went for the Minnesota Twins today. The Twins traveled to Cleveland to take on the Indians on Friday in their home opener, but that was delayed for a little over two hours due a rain cell. Once the rain concluded, the fun began for the Minnesota Twins.
The top of the first meant two runs for the Minnesota Twins with the gang manufacturing a couple runs to grab the lead. First, Brian Dozier doubled for his first hit of the year and moved along home via sac flies from Joe Mauer and Josh Willingham. The second run of the inning and the game was via a solo dinger off of the red-hot bat of Chris Colabello.
It was smooth sailing for the Twins for the next couple innings. Mike Pelfrey pitched four perfect innings until he gave up a double to Carlos Santana to lead off the fifth inning. That’s the only hit of the inning and it looked like Pelfrey would pitch a gem. The sixth inning proved that to be wrong.
Yan Gomes started the inning with a solo homerun off of Pelfrey. Three batters later, Nick Swisher hit a two-run jack. Then two straight walks on eight consecutive balls ended Pelfrey’s day, leaving the game at a 3-2 disadvantage.
This is when I went to the fish fry. I went to the fish fry disappointed that Pelfrey hit a wall, but I felt good that the bullpen was going to take over and give the Twins a chance to retake the lead. I was wrong.
Casey Fien, who came in for Pelfrey, was responsible for three additional Cleveland runs and Caleb Thielbar also gave up a run, notching up the score to 7-2 which is where it would end. Sam Deduno also appeared in relief for the Twins, sacrificing only two hits in an inning of work.
The Twins struck out 11 times. 10 players got an at-bat in the game and everyone except Josh Willingham went down on strikes at least once. Brian Dozier and Oswaldo Arcia both struck-out twice.
Dozier was the only Twins player to notch multiple hits, getting three on the day after going 0-for-13 to start the 2014 season. Dozier, Joe Mauer and Trevor Plouffe all hit doubles in the game.
The Twins and Indians play again on Saturday. Game is at 12:00 Central on FOX Sports 1 (you have a couple hours to figure out where that is on your respective television provider) and the Twins Baseball Network.