Pineda stays sharp, earns win
MINNEAPOLIS — Ryan Jeffers hit his first major league homer to spark Minnesota’s fourrun third inning, and Michael Pineda stayed sharp in his return from suspension by finishing seven innings for the Twins in a 6-2 win over the Tigers on Monday.
Pineda (1-0) allowed two runs and three hits, struck out eight and walked two in his first victory since Sept. 1, 2019. After serving a 60-game penalty for taking a banned weight-loss drug, Pineda debuted last week with six innings and a no-decision as the Twins beat the White Sox. He worked through this start as a steady rain fell over the last four innings.
“I’m feeling very proud of myself because that’s what we want, just trying to work longer in the game and give everything I’ve got every five to six days,” said Pineda, who has a 2.77 ERA through two turns. He went 7-1 with a 2.76 ERA over his last 11 starts before the suspension.
“There’s not a lot of room or time to just figure things out and just kind of settle back in,” manager Rocco Baldelli said.
“Big Mike has been ready to go from the first pitch he returned, and I don’t know if every guy does it that easily.”
Jeffers crushed a fullcount fastball from Michael Fulmer (0-1) into the wall behind center field, an estimated distance of 437 feet. Fulmer recorded only one out in the third, with the Tigers continuing to ease the 2016 AL rookie of the year and 2017 All-Star into action after he missed last season due to Tommy John surgery.