Former Elizabethton Twin Jose Berrios Strikes Out 10 in Win Over Indians

There's a new ace in town.

José Berríos  tipped his cap to a roaring sellout crowd of 39,519 at Target Field as he strode off the mound to a standing ovation after outdueling Corey Kluber , one of the game's premier aces, with 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 scoreless innings in his first Opening Day test as the leader of the Twins' rotation.
"It's what I expected and a little more, I would say, having my family in the stands and all the fans that came out to support us," Berrios said. "When [manager Rocco Baldelli] took me out, it was the reaction, and I guess it was perfect."
The 24-year-old Berrios baffled Cleveland hitters with his curveball and changeup, as his 10 strikeouts set a new Twins Opening Day record. Berrios walked one and allowed only two hits in 7 2/3 innings as he became the youngest Opening Day starter for the Twins since Brad Radke in 1997.
"Yeah, that was impressive," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I wish I wasn't sitting here saying that. But not only his velocity on his fastball, but he located, and he located it in enough, hard, then he'd throw a changeup off of that. He really kind of manhandled us today."
The keys were in the continued development of Berrios' changeup, which showed heavy sink and armside run. He threw the pitch 12 times after it was a point of emphasis for his work this spring. He also threw 37 curveballs -- relying on two different kinds of curves -- and generated 10 whiffs with the pitch.
"I think more than even watching him pitch -- obviously that was an absolutely phenomenal effort on the mound today -- he has the attributes of an ace that are actually the ones that you see every day on the days he's not pitching," Baldelli said. "He has all of that. He brings that to the table every day when he shows up, every day when he goes home."
Berrios only ran into trouble in the fourth inning, when Cleveland leadoff hitter Leonys Martin doubled to begin the frame and Carlos Santana drew a two-out walk. But Berrios used his curveball to strike out Hanley Ramirez on four pitches to escape the jam. That began a stretch of 12 consecutive hitters retired until Brad Miller's two-out single in the eighth sent Berrios out of the game with a handshake from his new manager.
"Jose's effort out there today kind of speaks for itself," Baldelli said. "It deserved probably more than a handshake. Probably could have given him a little hug out there and that probably wouldn't have done the thing justice, either.
"He's a guy that everyone on this team -- pitchers or position players -- they look to. He's a leader, that's what he is. Yeah, that's kind of special, because you see guys grow into that. He's growing into that younger than most."