Back in the 60’s and 70’s it was not unusual to see the opening day pitcher pitch a complete game. Twins pitchers did it three times in the 60’s including in 1961 when they played their first game against the New York Yankees and Pedro Ramos went the distance in the 6-0 Twins win and again three more times in the 70’s. The last pitcher to pitch a complete game on opening day for Minnesota was Dave Goltz in 1978 but he lost to the Mariners that day in a 3-2 game.
List of Twins Opening Day complete games
| Rk | Player | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | App,Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | BF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dave Goltz | 1978-04-05 | MIN | SEA | L 2-3 | CG(8), L | 8.0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 37 |
| 2 | Bert Blyleven | 1973-04-06 | MIN | OAK | W 8-3 | CG, W | 9.0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 40 |
| 3 | Jim Perry | 1970-04-07 | MIN | CHW | W 12-0 | SHO, W | 9.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 36 |
| 4 | Dean Chance | 1968-04-10 | MIN | WSA | W 2-0 | SHO, W | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 30 |
| 5 | Mudcat Grant | 1966-04-12 | MIN | KCA | W 2-1 | CG, W | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 |
| 6 | Pedro Ramos | 1961-04-11 | MIN | NYY | W 6-0 | SHO, W | 9.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 31 |
The last complete opening day game against the Twins took place at Comerica Park in 2001 when Jeff Weaver of the Detroit Tigers threw 115 pitches and pitched a complete game but lost to Minnesota 3-2.
Opening day complete games have become as rare as hens teeth. Corey Kluber is the last pitcher to do it when he pitched a complete game in 2018 and it was in a 2-1 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field. It has only been done nine times this century excluding a five inning 3-3 tie game between the Brewers and Reds in 2001 when Steve Woodard went five innings. None complete games on Opening Day 2019.
Complete Opening Day games pitched
- In the 40’s it was done 81 times
- In the 50’s it was done 67 times
- In the 60’s it was done 59 times.
- In the 70’s it was done 65 times.
- In the 80’s it was done 30 times
- In the 90’s it was done 13 times
- From 2000-2018 it has been done 9 times