Video (01:39) : Twins righthander Trevor May says he made the Indians put the ball in play Sunday, and the result was just one run over six innings, his best start as a Twin.
Trevor May is here to stay, at least if he pitches like that.
The second-year righthander made the best start in his 12-game major league career Sunday, giving up only one run over six innings and demonstrating the maturity under fire the Twins have been looking for from him.
"I guess it's all about being as consistent as possible and making them put the ball in play," May said after recording his first victory since Sept. 14, four starts ago. "I kind of went with that and it worked out pretty well."
Called up from the minors after Ricky Nolasco went on the disabled list April 11, May is intent on making himself too valuable to return to Class AAA Rochester. He'll get another start Saturday in Seattle, pitching before a group of friends and family in his home state, and then might have to sweat out another roster decision like the one that didn't work out so well at the end of spring training. From the looks of it, he's taking no chances.
May gave up only four hits, all of them singles, in a 97-pitch performance that featured more changeups and fewer curveballs than usual, and retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.
"Last year was a challenge for him," manager Paul Molitor said. "But this spring, he showed a lot more maturity. He's got confidence, aggressiveness."
That maturity came in handy when Michael Bourn, Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley hit consecutive two-out singles in the third inning, scoring a run and bringing dangerous cleanup hitter Carlos Santana to the plate with a chance to make the inning much worse. In the past, May might have overreacted, overthrown, overthought. This time, he told himself that the hits were mostly coincidental, ground balls that happened to find holes, and he wasn't in danger if he stuck to his plan. Santana grounded to second to end the inning.
"It's easy to get tentative, and that's how things snowball," May said. "I didn't feel like the three singles were a product of me leaving a ball up or things flattening out, like it has in the past. … I just stayed with the same plan, attacked Santana the same way."
"Pitching with the lead helped him. He settled in, he threw strikes," Molitor said of May, acquired three winters ago from the Phillies for Ben Revere.
So does May figure to stick around when Nolasco gets back?
"I don't want to get ahead of myself too much," Molitor said. "Things always change. In the interim, he's in the rotation, and hopefully he continues to take advantage."
Nolasco return delayed
Nolasco, on the disabled list because of inflammation in his right elbow, won't return until at least April 30, General Manager Terry Ryan said Sunday, because the Twins want him to make a rehab start in the minors.
The righthander will pitch for Class A Cedar Rapids against Kane County on Saturday, his first test against hitters since reporting a "spike" in his elbow while pitching in Detroit on April 8. It's the second consecutive year Nolasco will make an appearance in the Midwest League; he made two starts in Iowa last August as he recovered from an elbow strain, giving up three runs in 9 ⅓ innings.
Nolasco, who threw a bullpen session Sunday and reported no issues, probably will be limited to around 60 pitches in the rehab start. Depending on how he feels, the Twins could choose to have him make a second start in order to increase his pitch count or return him to the major league rotation. The earliest he could be ready following Saturday would be an April 30 game in Target Field against the White Sox.
