Louie Varland's struggles on the mound continue in loss to Tigers

Adam Uren | Apr 21, 2024

Apr 21, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Louie Varland (37) / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Louie Varland's early season struggles continued while the Twins bats once again went AWOL for a Sunday afternoon loss to the Detroit Tigers at Target Field.

The Twins failed to spend meaningful cash on a free agent starting pitcher in the hope that Varland would make the step up as the fourth name in the Twins rotation, but he has now given up 17 earned runs in 16 innings pitched so far this season for an ERA of 9.18.

He lasted just 2.2 innings against the Tigers, including the two-out, two-run home run he gave up to Buddy Kennedy that saw him pulled from the game by Rocco Baldelli as the Tigers surged ahead 4-0 in the top of the third.

It was all the more galling that it happened on an afternoon that Sonny Gray, who chose to leave the Twins last season and test free agency, racked up 12 strikeouts for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, albeit at the expense of two earned runs.

Once again a struggling Twins starter was given no help by the batting lineup, with the Twins accumulating just five hits entering the final inning.

Such is the insipidness of the Twins offense at the moment, a run or two is more than enough to secure a win. Two Tigers runs in each of the first and third innings looking insurmountable for the home side early on, before a Spencer Torkelson RBI double put the result beyond doubt in the seventh. He then added an RBI sac-fly in the ninth, to rub salt in the wound.

The only positive to be taken from the game was Austin Martin, one of the few bright spots from the Twins batting lineup in recent weeks, who slugged his first Major League home run in the bottom of the ninth, continuing a seven-game hitting streak.

Willi Castro followed it up with a hit and Carlos Santana then walked as the Twins threatened a rally, but the Tigers were able to record the final three outs without conceding any more.

The question now facing Baldelli is whether to continue with Varland in the rotation, or whether Simeon Woods Richardson, who was impressive in a spot start against the Tigers on Apr. 13, will be asked to rejoin the team.

Next up for the Twins is one of the few teams worse than them so far this season: the 3-18 Chicago White Sox.