Gordon electrifies in long-awaited debut

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nick Gordon kind of knew what to expect from the big league experience, considering his big league family lineage. He wasn't too surprised by anything about being a Major Leaguer, but he was intensely curious about one thing ahead of his debut in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers.

What would his little video snippet look like on the scoreboard when he was introduced as part of the starting lineup for the first time?

"I’ve been looking up every single day, wondering what my video is going to look like whenever they call my name," Gordon said. "So I think, for me, it’s going to start there."

It's those little things that were more intriguing than the actual big league environment, of which he'd seen plenty as the son of 21-year MLB veteran Tom "Flash" Gordon and the half-brother of Dee Strange-Gordon, even before he came up for a three-game stint in April without making it into a game.

If Nick Gordon keeps playing like he did in his debut, he could see enough of that scoreboard introduction to burn it into his memory.

Gordon walked in his first plate appearance against Rangers right-hander Jordan Lyles and smacked a solid single in his subsequent chance, getting the pleasantries out of the way early with the bat. Then, his legs carried him into the Twins' record books.

He stole second base in both trips aboard, making him the first player in Twins history with multiple swipes in his big league debut. He's only the 13th MLB player overall to accomplish the feat since 1901, and the first to do so since César Puello did it for the Angels on Aug. 9, 2017.

"He’s a pretty good runner, but I also think he has pretty good instincts, too," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "He can find a way not only do it, but also improve and get better, base-stealing-wise. Again, he didn’t hesitate. Gave him the green light and he went out there, took the first one and it’s just a very nice sign for a young player to come out and play that intensely, that confidently."

Gordon worked another three-ball count in the sixth before striking out, and he was later lifted for pinch-hitter Jorge Polanco in the eighth inning, with the Twins trying to scrape together a late rally against left-hander Taylor Hearn.

At that point, with his first start, first hit, first team record and first scoreboard video viewing in the books, it was worth the long journey through the Minors for the 2014 first-round Draft pick, who struggled through three years of gastritis and a season down with COVID-19 before finally getting his chance on the big stage.

"To feel it all for yourself, it’s definitely a different feeling," Gordon said. "It’s a kid in a candy store. It’s definitely something I can’t really explain it. I wish everyone had this feeling. It’s definitely a great feeling, it’s great to be here and be a part of the team and everything."

Worth noting
• The Twins optioned left-hander Lewis Thorpe to Triple-A St. Paul and recalled left-hander Devin Smeltzer before Thursday's game.