Almost four years ago to the date, Danny Coulombe took the mound for his first major league career start, throwing nearly two innings before making way for Griffin Jax, then a starter.

It was his first and only career start until Sunday when Coulombe was tapped to start again, this time as an opener for David Festa, who had lasted less than four innings in two of his three previous starts.

It’s something that manager Rocco Baldelli said he had been thinking about for a while and discussing internally — and he said it was “probably something that we’re going to see more of” — but it wasn’t until Saturday afternoon that the Twins informed both Coulombe and Festa of the decision.

“We’re reacting a little bit because we have to,” Baldelli said before the game. “I think there are certain times of the year where you’ve got to make a call, one way or the other. And it’s been a little while now we’ve been struggling to stop the other teams from scoring and we’re going to introduce something new and try to switch things up. Not just for the sake of switching things up, because I think there are actual benefits, too.”

With two lefties among the Milwaukee Brewers’ first three hitters on Sunday, Baldelli got his best southpaw out to face him. It didn’t go quite to plan as Coulombe got the first two outs of the inning but then gave up a double to left-hander Christian Yelich before William Contreras hit an RBI knock give the Brewers an early lead.

Festa then entered in the second inning with the Twins up 2-1 and immediately surrendered a home run to Rhys Hoskins, tying the game. He would get knocked around in the Twins’ 9-8 loss to the Brewers, giving up eight runs on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings pitched.

“It’s a little different, for sure. It’s hard to say it’s not,” Festa said. “We have a good inning offensively. I tried to treat that long half inning as if (we) were the away team and it’s the top of the first. I mean, it’s a little different, but it had no impact on any of the results.”

Willi Castro scratched

Willi Castro’s right wrist has been bothering him since Thursday, when the Twins played their last game in Cincinnati, but he had been feeling it more and more frequently and on Sunday morning, it forced him out of the lineup.

The Twins scratched the utilityman from the lineup, giving him the day off. Castro said he had an X-ray taken and was told that it was nothing serious. It’s something he said he feels on certain “funky swings.”

“I’ve had that pain before, but (Sunday) it was the day it got worse,” Castro said. “I’ve played with that pain before, last year, this year. … Probably two to three days I’ll be fine to go back and play.”

Briefly

Bailey Ober will take the mound on Monday when the Twins play host to the Seattle Mariners. Ober faced the Mariners in late May, giving up two earned runs in four innings pitched. He will be opposed by right-hander Bryan Woo, who has a 3.12 earned-run average this season and held the Twins to three runs in 6 2/3 innings in May.