Twins Video
Box Score
SP: David Festa 5 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (81 pitches, 59 strikes (72.8% strikes))
Home Runs: Christian Vázquez (3)
Top 3 WPA: Willi Castro .046, José Miranda .029, Carlos Correa .015
Bottom 3 WPA: David Festa -.336, Trevor Larnach -.097, Carlos Santana -.094
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)
Festa’s Target Field Debut
There’s been a lot of anticipation surrounding Festa this season, as he’s had some of the best strikeout numbers in the upper minors. Twins fans got their first live, up-close look at the organization's top pitching prospect. Festa didn’t disappoint to start the game, striking out the Tigers' leadoff man, Matt Vierling, on six pitches.
But the first strikeout of the night didn’t set the tone for how Festa’s second career start would go. In fact, things got away from him after an eight-pitch second-inning.
The third frame brought the most damage. He gave up a leadoff single to former Twin and walkup song fan favorite Gio Urshela, but managed to retire the next two batters on a strikeout and a fielder's choice. But the Tigers mounted a two-out rally, with back-to-back singles from Colt Keith and Riley Greene.
Then came light-hitting catcher Carson Kelly--who drilled a 95-mph fastball in the high part of the strike zone into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam. The bleeding wouldn’t stop there for the 24-year-old Festa, either, Tigers right fielder Wenceel Perez followed Kelly with a solo home run of his own the next at-bat, which was also his first home run in his last 206 plate appearances. Festa would give up one more hit to Justyn-Henry Malloy, but he got himself out of the inning with a flyout to right field from Zach McKinstry.
Despite escaping the jam, Festa finished the inning having thrown 29 pitches, putting him at 45 pitches for the evening. He fared much better again in the top of the fourth, replicating his success from the top of the second as he faced the minimum and retired them on 10 pitches.
The fifth inning, though, found the rookie failing to locate again. Keith hit a slider just below the middle of the strike zone into center field for a triple. Festa tried to pitch around Greene, but threw a slider in the exact same location where Keith hit it for a triple--except Greene hit a two-run homer to make it 7-1, Tigers.
Festa completed the frame, but that would be where his second career start would end. While his command was effective, Festa threw many of his pitches right where the Tigers hitters wanted to see them. The big takeaway from this start was that he avoided walks, and the strikeout numbers looked closer to what they were in Triple-A than to his strangely whiffless debut.
Brooks Lee Debuts
There have been many questions over the last few weeks about when Brooks Lee would get the call up to the majors. Unfortunately, the day arrived on Wednesday as a result of another Royce Lewis injury the night before.
Nonetheless, the long-awaited debut of the Twins' number-one pick from the 2022 Draft happened. He started at third base, which is appropriate, considering he was named after Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson. Lee struck out in his first at-bat, but things would turn up for him from there.
He got his first hit out of the way his second time to the plate with a single to center field. Come his third time at the plate, Lee was ready to check another box. Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the 7th with a double, and Lee wasted no time in the next at-bat, hitting a first-pitch slider into center field and making it a 7-2 game.
While the Twins were able to get the bases loaded for Carlos Santana on two walks and a fielder's choice later in the inning. Lee’s RBI single was the only run they got across, as Santana grounded out to end the inning.
Despite the game's outcome, Lee made history on Wednesday night, as he was the first Twins left-handed or switch-hitter in two decades to have a multi-hit game in his MLB debut. The previous two Twins to do that were Joe Mauer, who went 2-for-3 against Cleveland on April 5, 2004, and Justin Morneau, who went 2-for-4 against Colorado on June 10, 2003.
Bullpen Keeps Tigers Bats Quiet Until the Last Out
Following Festa’s exit from the game, Twins relievers kept the Tigers' bats guessing. Josh Staumont entered the game first, and he needed to throw only 13 pitches to retire the minimum in the sixth. Caleb Thielbar came in for the seventh and retired the minimum on four fewer pitches.
The eighth went to fellow lefty Kody Funderburk, who continued the roll of retiring the minimum on 12 pitches. He’d remain on the mound for the top of the ninth, and he quickly retired the first two batters, but he then allowed the Twins' third triple of the game to left fielder Akil Baddoo. Vierling didn’t mess around with Funderburk, and he hit a 2-run shot to extend the Tigers lead 9-2. Funderburk would recover and get the final out of the inning on a strikeout.
Despite the triple from Baddoo and homer from Vierling, the Twins bullpen still managed to keep the Tigers to only two hits and two runs through the last four innings. Staumont, Thielbar, and Funderburk also combined for four strikeouts.
What’s Next?
The Twins finish up their three-game series against the Motor City Kitties tomorrow afternoon at 12:10. The game moved up an hour from its original start time due to weather. Bailey Ober will face off against old friend Kenta Maeda for the rubber match.
Postgame Interview
Coming soon.
Bullpen Usage Sheet
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