Anthony Swarzak hasn't pitched since a two-inning relief stint during last Thursday's doubleheader in Cleveland, a outing that required 36 pitches. So he should be well-rested for tonight's start against the Tigers -- not that fatigue is ever a factor for the righthander, who just turned 29 last Wednesday.
"He loves getting the ball, and he likes to start. So he eats this up," manager Ron Gardenhire said of the Twins' fill-in pitcher, who makes his 30th career start -- and second of the season -- at Target Field. "We've used him [for] 50, 60 pitches, so I'm betting we could run him up there to 70 or 75 if we wanted to."
Actually, Swarzak threw 74, including 51 strikes, during his July 23 start against the Indians, a game in which he allowed one run over five innings and earned the victory. That's the Florida native's only start since 2012, but Gardenhire is right -- Swarzak makes no secret of his preference for the starting rotation. He's just pitched too well the past couple of seasons in a long-relief role for the Twins to move him back to a starting slot. But with Tommy Milone out of the rotation with a sore neck, the job was handed to Swarzak.
His task isn't an easy one tonight, since reigning Cy Young winner Max Scherzer is on the mound for Detroit, a righthander who has won five straight starts against the Twins, dating back to April 29, 2013.
It's the first of seven games between the teams over the season's final two weeks, meaning the Twins have an opportunity to influence the AL Central race. Detroit enters tonight 1 1/2 game in front of the Royals, a team that beat the Twins six times in nine games last month. We'll see if the Twins are as accommodating to Detroit.
Here are tonight's lineups for the 7:10 p.m. start:
TIGERS
Kinsler 2B
