Zebby Matthews’ stuff is so good, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, that his biggest challenge in the majors will be figuring out how to use it.
In the minors, his manager said before Matthews’ start Friday against the Washington Nationals, the right-hander could just throw his stuff in the zone and get hitters out. Not so in the majors.
That was apparent in his last start, his sixth this season, when he was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits in four innings of a 10-6 loss at Colorado on July 19.
“He has exceptional stuff,” Baldelli said, “and I think the ability to pitch and the ability to use it is probably the biggest challenge for him at the big league level.”
CORRECTS TO SECOND INNING NOT FIRST INNING – Washington Nationals second baseman Luis GarcÃa Jr., top, throws to first base for a double play after getting an out against Minnesota Twins’ Ty France (13) during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, July 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Matthews took a nice step forward Friday, rebounding to handcuff the skidding Washington Nationals in the Twins’ 1-0 victory in front of 27,736 at Target Field. Byron Buxton drove in the game’s only run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, and Jhoan Duran pitched a 1-2-3 the ninth inning for his 16th save.
Under .500 and behind five teams for the last American League wild card spot, the Twins are trying to build some late momentum so they don’t become sellers before Thursday’s 5 p.m. trade deadline. The win staves that off for at least another day.
The Nationals, last in the NL East, have are 5-12 in their past 17 games and fell 21 games under .500
Matthews (2-2) left after six scoreless innings and allowed only two hits while striking out seven. The Twins, meanwhile, used walks to Matt Wallner and Brooks Lee and a pair of wild pitches from starter MacKenzie Gore to push a run across in the fifth.
Wallner came home on Byron Buxton’s line-drive sacrifice fly to left field.
Gore (4-10) allowed only one hit — Ryan Jeffers’ soft single to left in the first — but walked six batters. He fanned four.
The Twins had a golden opportunity to add to their lead in the sixth off a pair of Nationals relievers. After Willi Castro flied out of center against right-hander Cole Henry, Carlos Correa singled to left and Royce Lewis doubled to put runners at second and third with one out.
But Henry struck out Harrison Bader swinging, and was pulled after hitting Ty France to load the bases with two outs. Left-hander Konnor Pilkington relieved and got Wallner to fly out softly to left to end the inning.
Danny Coulombe pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, but Griffin Jax had to pitch out of a jam in the eighth after allowing a double to Daylen Lile and issuing a two-out walk to No. 9 hitter Jacob Young. Lile stole third unchallenged to put runners at first and third, but Jax got leadoff hitter CJ Abrams to fly out to shallow right to end the inning.
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