So, that went well, eh? Jordan Zimmermann came out on Opening Day looking like Greg Maddux, and was potentially on his way to a complete game shutout before manager Ron Gardenhire intervened, pulling the veteran starter after seven innings with just 70 pitches thrown. Zimmermann displayed superb command, had a good feel for his slider, which is his key, and also mixed in a couple of nasty changeups, which surprised everyone.
No one was more surprised than a fairly hapless looking Toronto Blue Jays lineup. Zimmermann took a perfect game into the seventh before Teoscar Hernandez singled on a sharp ground ball up the middle that Josh Harrison couldn’t quite sell as an error.