David Festa
made a promising debut for the Minnesota Twins on Friday, allowing just one earned run across nearly five innings. But despite his solid outing, the Twins couldn’t hold on, falling to the Detroit Tigers 7–5 in yet another frustrating loss.
Festa is expected to return to Triple-A St. Paul this weekend, not due to poor performance, but to make room for rotation reshuffling amid Pablo López's injury.
The rookie right-hander showed poise on the mound, retiring the first six batters he faced and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third. The only run charged to him came after a costly throwing error allowed Dillon Dingler to score.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised Festa’s development, noting his command and ability to manage game situations.
“He has very good stuff,” Baldelli said. “It’s about understanding how to use it and staying focused pitch to pitch.”
Unfortunately for the Twins, once Festa exited, the bullpen faltered. Jorge Alcalá surrendered four runs without recording an out in the sixth inning. Detroit capitalized on multiple free passes and a crucial two-run single by Zach McKinstry, followed by an RBI hit from Dingler and a groundout by Trey Sweeney that plated the go-ahead run.
Minnesota briefly held the lead thanks to an RBI single from Carlos Correa, a run-scoring groundout by Byron Buxton, and a double by Edouard Julien. Buxton also added a towering solo home run in the seventh — his second of the season — but the Tigers responded immediately.
Detroit extended their lead in the eighth inning with an RBI double from Javier Báez, securing their win.
The loss marked the Twins’ fifth defeat in six games and dropped them to 4–10, their worst start since 1981. While Festa’s outing was a bright spot, it was overshadowed by costly defensive errors and bullpen struggles — a recurring theme in Minnesota’s early-season slump.
