First big league game and first major league win

Appearing in a big league game and stepping on a major league pitching mound for the first time is something you never forget. It makes no difference if you are the starter or if you enter the game in relief, you have reached the goal that has been waiting for you since you first started playing baseball in your backyard as a child.

Bill Pleis

Many a pitcher has made his major league debut with Minnesota across his chest and some have had good games and others have not been as lucky but only 20 Twins pitchers can lay claim to the fact that they earned the “win” in their first big league game. Bill  “Shorty” Pleis was the first Twins pitcher to accomplish this feat and he did so in relief.

It took more than 10 years for the Twins to have a starting pitcher start his major league career and get credited with a “W” and it was none other than Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven and as he has told us many times, the first batter he faced, Lee Maye, did indeed hit a home run off him at RFK Stadium. Bert however; maintained his composure and earned the win with seven innings of five hit ball with seven strikeouts and one walk and the Twins went on to beat the Washington Senators in a 2-1 game.

First big league game and first major league win

Bert Blyleven as a rookie in 1970
Results
Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt App,Dec IP H R ER BB SO HR UER Pit Str BF
1 Bill Pleis 1961-04-16 (2) MIN BAL W 6-4 9-10, W 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0     4
2 Joe Bonikowski 1962-04-12 MIN KCA W 9-5 4-GF, W 5.2 3 1 1 4 3 0 0     23
3 Bert Blyleven 1970-06-05 MIN WSA W 2-1 GS-7, W 7.0 5 1 1 1 7 1 0     27
4 Hal Haydel 1970-09-07 (2) MIN MIL W 8-3 2-6, W 5.0 4 2 2 0 2 1 0     19
5 Jim Strickland 1971-05-19 MIN CAL W 12-6 3-5, W 2.1 1 0 0 0 4 0 0     8
6 Tom Johnson 1974-09-10 MIN CHW W 8-7 14-GF(15), W 2.0 2 1 0 0 1 0 1     8
7 Pete Redfern 1976-05-15 (2) MIN CAL W 15-5 GS-6, W 5.0 3 4 4 3 2 1 0     21
8 Paul Thormodsgard 1977-04-10 (2) MIN OAK W 7-1 GS-7, W 6.1 6 1 1 3 2 0 0     28
9 Jeff Holly 1977-05-01 MIN DET W 6-5 3-GF, W 7.0 2 0 0 1 6 0 0     23
10 Roger Erickson 1978-04-06 MIN SEA W 5-4 GS-7, W 6.1 5 3 3 1 4 0 0     25
11 Darrell Jackson 1978-06-16 MIN DET W 5-2 GS-8, W 7.1 7 1 1 4 7 0 0     31
12 Doug Corbett 1980-04-10 MIN OAK W 9-7 8-GF(12), W 5.0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0     16
13 Scott Erickson 1990-06-25 MIN TEX W 9-1 GS-6, W 6.0 4 1 1 2 4 0 0 94 53 25
14 Todd Ritchie 1997-04-03 MIN DET W 10-6 4-6, W 3.0 3 1 1 0 3 0 0 50 30 11
15 Eric Milton 1998-04-05 MIN KCR W 10-1 GS-6, W 6.0 6 0 0 2 1 0 0 88 60 26
16 Dave Gassner 2005-04-16 MIN CLE W 6-4 GS-6, W 6.0 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 72 48 22
17 Anthony Swarzak 2009-05-23 MIN MIL W 6-2 GS-7, W 7.0 5 0 0 2 3 0 0 98 64 27
18 Kyle Gibson 2013-06-29 MIN KCR W 6-2 GS-6, W 6.0 8 2 2 0 5 0 0 91 64 26
19 Andrew Albers 2013-08-06 MIN KCR W 7-0 GS-9, W 8.1 4 0 0 1 2 0 0 109 67 29
20 Felix Jorge 2017-07-01 (2) MIN KCR W 10-5 GS-6, W 5.0 7 3 3 1 2 1 0 85 54 21
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/25/2017.

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According to ELIAS – Tribe’s K-Fest streak broken and Aaron Slegers

Tribe’s K-fest finally broken at Minnesota

Carlos Carrasco struck out nine batters over five innings and Cleveland’s bullpen struck out 10 more in the Indians’ 9–3 victory at Minnesota. That tied the team record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game, set in 2015 and tied earlier this season.

It also extended Cleveland’s streak of games with at least 10 strikeouts to 13, which is the longest streak in MLB history. The previous mark of nine consecutive 10-strikeout games was set earlier this season by the Diamondbacks and matched by the Yankees. The Indians more than doubled the former record of six straight games that was set by the Mets in 1990 and which stood until five years ago.

The streak ended when Cleveland pitchers struck out only nine Twins batters in the second game of the doubleheader.

 

Another Twins starting pitcher makes his MLB debut

Aaron Slegers made his major-league debut as the Twins’ starting pitcher in the second game of their doubleheader against the Indians. This is the first time since the team moved to Minnesota in 1961 that four Twins players made their major-league debuts as starting pitchers in one season. The others were Nik TurleyFelix Jorge, and Dietrich Enns.

The last time that four pitchers did so for the Washington Senators, the Twins’ predecessors, was in 1950. The fourth of those pitchers to debut was Carlos Pascual, whose 1–1 career record was overshadowed by that of his brother Camilo, who debuted for the Nats in 1954 and ranks fifth in franchise history with a total of 145 wins.

Aaron Slegers

As for Slegers’ performance, a big thumbs-up, as he allowed two runs on two hits over 6.1 innings in Minnesota’s 4–2 win. Over the last four seasons, only three other starting pitchers reached the seventh inning and allowed fewer than three hits in their major-league debuts: Ross Stripling of the Dodgers and Jharel Cotton of the A’s last season and Eric Skoglund of the Royals on May 30.

Twins minor league player of the week – Felix Jorge

TWINS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Felix JorgeFt. Myers Miracle (High A) right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Jorge made one start for the Miracle, allowing one run on six hits in 7.2 innings pitched, with no walks and six strikeouts against Lakeland on Wednesday.

The 22 year-old Jorge has made 11 starts for the Miracle this season, going 6-3, 1.59 ERA (73.2 IP, 13 ER) with 10 walks and 61 strikeouts.

Jorge has described by a Twins source as a poor man’s Ervin Santana. He has a thin body and doesn’t throw hard, but he has a good mix of pitches and throws strikes, lending hope that he can stick as a starter. Signed by the Minnesota Twins as a non-drafted free agent on Feb. 21, 2011 for $250,000.

Twins sign Dominican right-hander Felix Jorge

Twins Minor League Report June 19, 2016

Twins minor league player of the week

Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids (Low A) right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 6’2″ 170 pound Jorge made one start for the Kernels on Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits in 7.0 innings pitched with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jorge has gone 5-3, 2.10 ERA (103.0 IP, 24 ER) with 23 walks and 82 strikeouts in 16 starts for the Kernels this season.

Jorge has a fastball that touches 95, a slider and a change-up. Now in his fifth professional season, Jorge has struck out 301 batters in 330.2 innings and has a 3.24 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Jorge was originally signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in February of 2011 as a seventeen year old for a reported $250,000.

Twins Minor League Report July 26, 2015

Elizabethton Twins doing well…..again

Nick Gordon
Nick Gordon
Felix Jorge
Felix Jorge

A recent issue of Twins Game Notes stated that the Rookie-level Appalachian League named its 2014 All-Star Team Friday night. Nick Gordon was named the shortstop, Max Murphy was named an outfielder, Felix Jorge was named right-handed pitcher and Ray Smith was named Manager.

Ray Smith
Ray Smith

Gordon is hitting .282 (59-for-209) with six doubles and three triples in 51 games. Minnesota-native Max Murphy (currently with Cedar Rapids) hit .378 (45-for-119) with 10 home runs and 26 RBI in 35 games and also earned Appy League Player of the Year honors. Felix Jorge (currently with Cedar Rapids) went 4-2, 2.29 ERA (63.0 IP, 16 ER) with 13 walks and 56 strikeouts in 11 starts and also earned Appy League Pitcher of the Year honors. lastly, manager Ray Smith has led the E-Twins to a record of 34-27 and in first place of the Apply League West Division. Smith is in his 21st year of managing the E-Twins and his team has won the league championship on seven occasions and lost in the championship game five more times. His team has failed to make the playoffs in only seven of his 21 seasons at the helm.