Until Simeon Woods Richardson took the mound on Sunday, the Twins had never before asked a starting pitcher to make his big-league debut during the final week of a season.
It's easy to see why: Even after being charged with a 5-2 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, a defeat that was hardly his fault, Woods Richardson surely made the Twins eager to see more from the rookie righthander.
Alas, they'll have to wait until 2023, when Woods Richardson, one of 13 rookies to debut for the Twins in 2022, will fight for a roster spot on a team that has finished with a losing record for two consecutive seasons. Minnesota clinched that distinction with another error-filled, offense-starved defeat, losing the three-game series in Detroit and dropping the Twins to 77-82 with only a three-game series in Chicago remaining.
Woods Richardson, acquired from Toronto in the Jose Berrios trade a year ago, allowed only three hits over five innings, and never more than one in an inning. Yet he was charged with three of the Tigers' five runs, an outcome that must have made him wonder if he was the victim of a practical joke.
That's because the Twins committed three errors in the first inning, turning a walk and a single into a pair of runs. Woods Richardson walked the first batter of his MLB career, Akil Baddoo, who promptly stole second base, then advanced to third when Ryan Jeffers' throw eluded Carlos Correa. After an out, Eric Haase hit a routine grounder to first baseman Jose Miranda, who didn't stop it from scooting between his legs for another error.
Haase moved to third on a single by Miguel Cabrera, then scored easily on a wild pitch by Woods Richardson, with Cabrera moving to third base when Jeffers' throw got past the pitcher covering home. That, at least, set up an escape from the messy first inning, when Jonathan Schoop flew out to Jake Cave, who then threw out Cabrera at the plate.
If Woods Richardson was bothered by that welcome-to-the-bigs fiasco, it didn't show. The 22-year-old, who mixes a 91-mph cut fastball with a sharp curveball and a slider, allowed only two hits over his next four innings, though one of them was Haase's second home run of the series.
Trouble is, the Twins' offense was a no-show once again. Carlos Correa collected two of the Twins' three hits, including their only one over the final five innings.
Their two runs were as much of a gift as the Tigers' first-inning pair: A dropped fly ball by Baddoo put Jeffers on base, and three consecutive walks by Tigers starter Joey Wentz brought him home. A sacrifice fly by Nick Gordon ended the Twins' all-but-silent day at the plate.
