FORT MYERS, FLA. – Tuesday's Twins-Tigers game took only 2 hours, 19 minutes to play. Twins righthander Randy Dobnak set the tone early, needing only 31 pitches to get through three scoreless innings. Brandon Dixon's single to short left field was the only hit off Dobnak.
"It's a very good thing," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Dobnak. "Again, he threw the ball very well. I think that he was doing everything he wanted to do out there. He spun the ball well. He got some swings and misses. He found himself in a very good place."
It was too good, actually. Dobnak was supposed to build up to over 50 pitches, so he threw 25 more pitches in the bullpen to reach that mark.
"Still trying to work on some pitches here and there," Dobnak said, "but I'm still competing for a spot."
Six Twins pitchers held Detroit hitters to one run on two hits in a 5-1 victory.
Virus preparedness
The spread of the coronavirus has led to quarantines, stock market slumps, flight cancellations and a run on supplies such as facemasks and hand sanitizers. Many countries have confirmed cases of the deadly virus, including the Dominican Republic, where the Twins and Tigers are scheduled to play an exhibition game Saturday.
"We continue to work with MLB on all coronavirus-related preparation, both here in Fort Myers and on the trip," said Derek Falvey, the Twins' president of baseball operations. "I don't have anything specific at present from them on the trip."
Major League Baseball on Tuesday announced the formation of a task force to look into any responses to the threat.