Gonsalves ends up feeling complete

On paper, Stephen Gonsalves' Thursday night start might look like the best one he's made as a pro, but he doesn't see it that way.

"The scorebook will say it was," the Twins' No. 4 prospect said. "I don't feel it was and I know there are others who will agree with me -- my pitching coach [Ivan Arteaga] and catcher [Stuart Turner] knew I didn't really have my stuff, but I was able to roll through."

Gonsalves allowed an unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out eight in his first nine-inning complete game as Double-A Chattanooga won at Birmingham, 7-1.

Even though the 22-year-old left-hander has a 2.01 ERA through nine starts since being promoted to the Southern League the last week of June, he said this outing was a struggle before it even began.

"It's kind of funny -- I didn't have any of my pitches working for me early on. I started the game with a four-pitch walk. I had my worst bullpen. I think I bounced about 20 balls," he said. "I was all over the zone. I told the catcher, Stu, 'It can only get better from here.' I kept digging. He told me to dig deep, because he knew I didn't have my best stuff. But I was lucky enough that they kept swinging at anything close to the zone."

Trey Michalczewski singled to short to lead off the second inning. The No. 7 White Sox prospect advanced to second on a throwing error by shortstop Heiker Meneses, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Keon Barnum's sacrifice fly. Gonsalves (5-1) said he had the feeling he was headed down a dark path.

"Especially even after the four-pitch walk in the first, and after bouncing 20 balls in the bullpen, I didn't expect it to go very well," MLB.com's No. 97 overall prospect said. "But I kept throwing and they kept going after pitches."

Fortunately for him, he said he soon began to find his command.

"After the first two innings, I wasn't trying to do too much," Gonsalves said. "I was just trying to throw anything over for a first-pitch strike. I fell behind about 50 percent of the batters tonight with a first-pitch ball. I was able to get my bearings and everything kind of clicked around the fourth."

The California native worked a 1-2-3 inning that frame and the next.

"Hitters have been really patient here compared to other levels I've pitched at. It's really important to throw a first-pitch strike," Gonsalves said. "I didn't tonight, but they were pretty aggressive. I think their plan was to try to find something early and take a hard swing at it. I was lucky I got a lot of ground balls. I think Meneses laid out up the middle four times."

By the end of the eighth, the 2013 fourth-round pick was settled in, but he said he expected Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz to tell him his night was through.

"I was going out with 91 pitches, and I think normally there's a Twins rule that you're not allowed to start an inning after 85 pitches," Gonsalves said. "Doug was confident in me and I appreciate that. I was waiting, watching him out of the corner of my eye in the dugout. He walked by and was sitting by the water jug, taking little glances at me."

In the ninth, he allowed a leadoff single to Hunter Jones but got Eddy Alvarez to bounce into the Barons' fourth double play of the night. Gonsalves struck out Marcus Lemon to end it, having thrown 101 pitches -- 60 for strikes.

Turner went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

Birmingham starter Jordan Guerrero (7-7) surrendered five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and two walks while striking out four over six innings.