ready to go, and he kind of proved that theory again." A few weeks later, on July 23, Baker had his first career win in Detroit with a 5-2 victory over the Tigers in Game 2 of a doubleheader. He started and pitched seven strong innings, allowing just two runs, but was sent back to Rochester immediately after the game, as he had been called up specifically to start in the doubleheader. On August 29, he returned to the Twins starting rotation for the remainder of the year, making seven consecutive starts to close the season as he replaced Joe Mays in the rotation. Baker finished his rookie year with a record of 3-3 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.35.