Former Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire woke up Wednesday and went through his typical morning routine, checking the news on his iPad. He learned of an impressive feat from a familiar name: Spencer Turnbull pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.
He pulled up the video replay of Turnbull’s gem and watched closely. Turnbull, 28, played three seasons for Gardenhire, beginning with his MLB debut in 2018.
Gardenhire, who lives in Florida after retiring toward the end of last season, wasn’t surprised by the headlines. Nor was he shocked by Turnbull’s dominance, even as he reached the 117-pitch mark on his final offering — a 95 mph fastball to strike out Mitch Haniger for a 5-0 win Tuesday at T-Mobile Park.
“He has it in there,” Gardenhire told the Free Press on Thursday. “He has the stuff. We’ve always said that. He had some of the best stuff on our staff, if not the best stuff on our staff. It was just about harnessing it, figuring out his routine and all those little things.
“Once he gets that all done, he’s got a chance to be one of those top two or three starters on a team. No doubt.”
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A right-hander from Alabama, Turnbull etched his name in the record books with the franchise’s eighth no-hitter from six pitchers. The others: George Mullin (1912), Virgil Trucks (1952, 1952), Jim Bunning (1958), Jack Morris (1984) and Justin Verlander (2007, 2011). It was also the fifth of six no-hitters in the majors this season, following Joe Musgrove (San Diego Padres), Carlos Rodon (Chicago White Sox), John Means (Baltimore Orioles) and Wade Miley (Cincinnati Reds). Less than 24 hours after Turnbull’s no-hitter, New York Yankees right-hander Corey Kluber became the sixth pitcher to achieve the feat in 2021.
For Turnbull, this was a coming-of-age moment.
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“He’s had enough time in the big leagues, where he understands what he needs to do,” Gardenhire said. “He doesn’t need people telling him, but that’s where the growth is. That he knows how to get prepared in between starts and what he needs to work on. Stay healthy and the world is in his hands because he’s got stuff.”
Through six starts this season, Turnbull has a 2.88 ERA, eight walks and 31 strikeouts in 34⅓ innings. He tested positive for COVID-19 during spring training and didn’t make his first start in the 2021 campaign until April 21.
He needed additional time in Lakeland, Florida — home of the team’s spring training facility — and at the alternate training site in Triple-A Toledo to build up his stamina. Once Turnbull returned, he did his best to control his pitch count and throw deeper into games.
“It’s such a sweet moment,” Turnbull said after Tuesday’s no-hitter. “I wouldn’t change anything. COVID and all that other stuff sucked at the time, but it is what it is.”
Throwing the no-hitter made the struggles with COVID worth it, Turnbull said.
“I’m all right now… That’s an easy trade for me to make, for sure.”
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The performance from Turnbull is one former pitching coach Rick Anderson believed might happen. He knew Turnbull could be a dominant major-league pitcher from the first time he saw him pitch in spring training.
Ahead of the 2018 season, Anderson — the bullpen coach at the time — checked into Gardenhire’s office in Lakeland. It was their first year with the Tigers. (In June 2018, Anderson was promoted to the team’s pitching coach.)
“Wait until you see this guy,” Anderson said.
“And then I ventured down a little bit later,” Gardenhire said, “and I remember looking at him and going, ‘Woof, the ball goes everywhere. Can he harness it?’ That’s what Andy said he was going to try to do.”
Turnbull made three starts across four games in the 2018 season for his MLB debut. He gave up 11 runs in 16⅓ innings but flashed signs with four walks and 15 strikeouts. The next year, he struck out 146 batters in 148⅓ innings but lost an MLB-leading 17 games with a 4.61 ERA in his first full season.
The biggest problem, Gardenhire said: Turnbull would think too much. At times, his mindset was his greatest weakness. Gardenhire and Anderson worked tirelessly to help Turnbull trust his arsenal, especially with runners on base.
Recently, Turnbull isn’t doubting anymore.
During the no-hitter, he walked Jarred Kelenic in the fourth inning and Jose Marmolejos in the ninth inning. Neither free pass fazed Turnbull, who disposed of the next three batters in each frame.
“I know who I am so much more now,” Turnbull said. “Getting to do this with such a deeper understanding of who I am, there’s just so much more meaning to it. I don’t really know how to explain it. But I’m definitely more me now than I’ve ever been. Definitely really proud of the progress I’ve made and the journey. One of the wildest nights of my life. It’s so special.”
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Turnbull took a step forward in the 2020 season — just his second full season in the majors. He finished with a 3.97 ERA, 29 walks and 51 strikeouts across 56⅔ innings in 11 starts. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball in early August and six scoreless innings in early September.
He began establishing himself as a frontline starter.
“It was all about staying healthy, doing all the routines, staying consistent, don’t get too high or too low,” Gardenhire said. “He’s an emotional guy. He’s got a lot of quirky things that he does, and that’s fine. The bottom line is to keep working hard, do your work in between starts and know what you need to work on. He understands a lot better now.”
When Turnbull completed his no-hitter, he pumped his right fist. He hugged catcher Eric Haase, who lunged into his arms in celebration. His teammates greeted him with hugs, shaving cream, baby powder and a beer shower. Turnbull couldn’t stop smiling.
It was a career-defining night Turnbull will never forget.
“To make it through 100 and whatever pitches and throw a no-hitter like that, Andy and I envisioned that when we saw him throwing for the first time,” Gardenhire said. “(Anderson) told me, ‘This guy’s got unbelievable stuff. Now it’s just the mental part of it. If he can understand that a little bit better, he’s got a chance.'”
Gardenhire later added: “He’s growing. That’s just another stepping stone. A no-hitter is something you proved to the world that you can do that. Can you do it consistently? I’m not saying (consistently throw) no-hitters but have the same stuff. Just be himself, and he’ll be fine.”
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Evan Petzold is a sports reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.