Before Saturday's game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire indicated that he would be happy with five innings or about 75 pitches from Anthony Swarzak, who hadn't started a game since May 10, when he pitched seven innings for Class AAA Rochester against Louisville.
"It depends on how he's feeling," Gardenhire said.
A few hours later, the Twins had recorded a 1-0, 10-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field, made possible by 105 pitches from Swarzak in a brilliant spot start which saw him take a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
"I didn't even know I threw 105 pitches," Swarzak said. "I feel like I threw 80, to be honest with you."
The adrenaline might still have been pumping through the 25-year-old Swarzak, who pitched 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball before Peter Bourjos whacked Swarzak's 99th pitch of the evening down the left-field line for a double.
Swarzak held the Angels to that one hit and two walks with four strikeouts in eight innings. He dominated with a mix of fastballs, changeups and curveballs -- and a slider he has developed over the past year.
Rene Rivera, who caught Swarzak on Saturday and also while they were at Rochester together, said it was the best he has seen him.
"All his pitches were working," Rivera said. "He was throwing the slider, curveball, changeup for a strike when he needed and for a ball when he needed. He was keeping the ball down. That's the thing that was different from when he was pitching in Rochester. He got good stuff and he showed he can pitch.
