Turnbull sunk in 7th, remains winless at home

DETROIT -- Yes, pitcher wins can be arbitrary and completely subject to a team’s general success.

No, wins and losses are not a good way to measure a pitcher’s success, let alone that pitcher’s effectiveness.

Still, the numbers attached to Spencer Turnbull’s season at Comerica Park are not easily happened upon.

Even with the understanding about the random nature of pitcher wins, it wasn’t hard to feel sympathy as Turnbull watched Lamonte Wade Jr. poke a double just inside third base and down the left-field line, putting runners at second and third with nobody out in the seventh inning of a one-run game. With the American League Central-leading Twins and the Tigers, it wasn’t hard to predict what followed.

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“It's tough, because obviously I felt not a great situation,” Turnbull said. “I was pretty frustrated there for a little bit. I think overall I did pretty well, but it's hard to be super excited when you just gave up back-to-back hits to put guys in scoring position in a one-run ballgame."

Willians Astudillo’s ensuing two-run single off David McKay not only denied Turnbull a win, it completed one of the more bizarre splits in Major League history.

Tuesday’s 4-2 Tigers loss left Turnbull with an 0-11 record at Comerica Park for the season, a home split no pitcher had posted in modern Major League history, according to Baseball Reference. No pitcher since at least 1908 had gone winless at home in a season with at least 15 home starts.

It’s in no way indicative of the way Turnbull has pitched for stretches this season, including the past couple weeks. But it’s still a number that draws attention.

“If they start reading the paper and seeing your articles and seeing the numbers, their record, sure it can wear on them,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “But if you don't look at stats and pay attention to that stuff and just realize what you're doing: You're in the big leagues, you're starting all year here in the big leagues, and it's a year of experience that's going to make you grow. That's what he's gotta look at.

“He's had some ups and downs, and I think he's learned from all of them. Over his last two or three starts, he's come out really throwing the baseball again, not overthinking things, not talking about his mechanics, just hitting the glove, and I think you're seeing great results.”

Turnbull has not won a game at Comerica Park in 17 career starts since he debuted in September 2018. Some of that was ineffective pitching, the product of a midseason slump amidst arm fatigue and a lost feel for his slider. Some of it was lack of run support, such as the no-decision Turnbull picked up for six innings with an unearned run allowed April 17 against the Pirates, or the no-decision for seven innings of one-run ball against the Royals on May 7 in an extra-inning Detroit win.

Tuesday’s loss fell squarely in the latter category. For six innings, Turnbull dueled with Twins starter Jake Odorizzi, their difference down to a Jeimer Candelario first-inning sacrifice fly. Turnbull allowed just two runners in scoring position over his first six innings, escaping threats in the first and fourth frames. Willi Castro’s skillful snare of an Astudillo liner over his head at deep short lifted Turnbull out of the fourth. He threw four pitches for strikes for one of the rare times this season, including a changeup that had comprised just 2.6 percent of his pitches for the year until Tuesday.

“He was on,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “From the bullpen in, I knew his stuff was good. He wanted to attack and stick to the plan, and he did.”

Turnbull carried a 1-0 lead as he pitched into the seventh for the first time since July 17. Jake Cave’s line-drive single put the leadoff runner on, then Wade Jr. poked a ball just inside third base and down the left-field line, putting runners at second and third as Gardenhire brought the hook.

“It actually hit on top of the bag,” Gardenhire said of Wade’s double. “I heard it hit the top of the bag. So just a little bit unlucky there to start out the seventh. We go to the bullpen and it got a little goofy there. We gave up a couple hits and next thing you know there's four [runs], and that's what those guys do.”

Astudillo, a late addition to the lineup after Marwin Gonzalez was scratched, sent a ground ball through the middle to bring both runners home. Eddie Rosario’s two-run, two-out double later in the inning off Nick Ramirez provided the eventual difference, punishing Detroit for daring to walk longtime Tiger killer Nelson Cruz with first base open.

Besides the home frustration, Turnbull (3-16) is winless in his last 17 starts anywhere heading into an expected start in Sunday’s season finale at Chicago, despite a combined 11 solid innings with three runs allowed over his past two starts against the Twins and Indians. He’s a better pitcher now, maybe even better than his strong first two months, and he knows it. He still gets flustered by the results.

“I've been throwing the ball way better the last three starts compared to the last month and a half coming back from rehab,” Turnbull said. “I'm happy with that. It's just frustrating when you put up zeros all day and then give up back-to-back hits on changeups.”