PHILADELPHIA – It takes a leap of faith in today's velocity-soaked MLB to believe that 88-mile-per-hour fastballs can retire major league hitters, but Dallas Keuchel converted a few doubters during his 2023 debut Sunday.
The Phillies, though, were not convinced.
Keuchel retired only four of the 13 batters he faced Friday, while the Phillies punished him with six hits, two walks and a hit batter. Their six-run second inning set the tone for an 13-2 romp at Citizens Bank Park, the Twins' fourth loss in a row.
None of Keuchel's 49 pitches exceeded 88 mph, but four of them topped 100 mph headed the other way as the Phillies pelted him with line drives. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner didn't give up a home run, but for the second consecutive start, he didn't strike out a batter, either. He was removed after facing 10 batters and throwing 37 pitches in the second inning.
"It's very frustrating. I feel like I've made some real quality pitches in my two starts," the veteran lefthander said. "That lineup can do some damage quick. I corralled it in the first. I didn't do a good job of corralling it in the second."
He didn't, but he wasn't alone. Relievers Josh Winder and Brent Headrick fared only marginally better, with Winder giving up three runs in two innings, and Headrick allowing back-to-back home runs to Bryson Stott and J.T. Realmuto during his 3â…“-inning mop-up stint. Outfielder Jordan Luplow pitched the eighth inning, surrendering rookie outfielder Johan Rojas' first career home run.
"Obviously I would have liked to put my best foot forward and given them six or seven strong [innings]," Keuchel said. "That was a heck of a job by Brent there, cleaning up some innings and giving us some length there instead of using five or six pitchers."
It came with a price, however. Headrick threw 67 pitches and won't be available to pitch for at least three days — so after the game, the Twins optioned him back to Class AAA St. Paul. They'll add another pitcher before Saturday's game.
The ugly loss didn't dent the Twins' AL Central lead, however. The Guardians' walk-off loss to Tampa Bay kept them from subtracting from the Twins' 3½ game lead.
Keuchel threw first-pitch strikes to only five batters, and fell behind 2-0 four times.
"Dallas probably was around the zone, but not in the spots where he wanted to be," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He's a command pitcher that today didn't have the command that he would normally show."
The Twins actually took an early lead, with Jorge Polanco launching a sinker from Phillies lefthander Cristopher Sánchez into the left-field seats, his seventh home run of the season. Three pitches later, Max Kepler hit a liner into the right-field seats, his team-high 19th of the year and fourth in the past week.
But that lead disappeared before the Twins could record an out.
Nick Castellanos and Scott opened the second inning with back-to-back doubles, and J.T. Realmuto followed with an RBI single. Keuchel walked Weston Wilson, then loaded the bases by hitting Edmundo Sosa on the top of his right foot. The tiebreaking run scored on a forced out at third base, with Realmuto scoring. But Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Castellanos all singled, too, knocking out Keuchel.
"It kind of feels like we ran into a buzz saw here. Frustrating there in the second, where I'm 0-and-2 to Castellanos, and he gets inside a changeup and hits it on the [foul] line," Keuchel said. "Then [they were] just finding holes. I still think I made some pitches that, well, I just have to tip my cap to them."
