Smeltzer did not factor in the decision against Kansas City on Thursday despite pitching seven scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six.
Smeltzer was dominant and efficient in his seven frames, throwing just 80 pitches and preventing any runners from reach second base. He was in line for the win upon his departure but had to settle for a no-decision after Tyler Duffey surrendered three eighth-inning runs to take the loss. This was Smeltzer's third start of the campaign, and he has allowed a combined two runs over 17.1 innings for a sparkling 1.04 ERA. He's currently up in place of Joe Ryan (COVID-19), but it wouldn't be surprising if Minnesota finds a way to keep him in the rotation based on how well he's pitched so far.