Twins 1, Nationals 0: The Zebulon Show

[Peter Labuza]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Box Score
SP: Zebby Matthews: 6 P, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 81 pitches, 54 strikes (66.7%)
Home Runs: None
Top 3 WPA: Zebby Matthews, (.358), Jhoan Duran (.160), Griffin Jax (.120)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): 

Wheeling and Dealing 
Zebby Matthews began the game dispensing his fastballs with a tick of extra velocity, starting the game with two strikeouts and a weak groundout. His second inning includes a nice little throw to first on a tricky roller out of the box, beating Jeffers to the ball and getting the out just in time.

Opposite Matthews was the All-Star Mackenzie Gore, just one of many pieces the Nationals acquired in the Juan Soto trade. The lengthy southpaw came out shaky as he had in many of his recent starts, putting Ryan Jeffers and Carlos Correa on before getting the red-hot Royce Lewis to scrape under a ball for a soft fly out and escape the inning. The second looked just as promising for the Twins with walks to Harrison Bader and Ty France, but a Matt Wallner fly out and double play off a Brooks Lee ground out ended the worry.

Both pitchers continue to cruise through the next few innings without much traffic. Matthews finally let a two out double to Luis Garcia Jr. break up a potential new hitter in the fourth, but Harrison Bader snagged a foul ball from Josh Bell on the very next pitch. Gore’s pitch count had reached 77 with two outs but a poor run from Harrison Bader resulted in his fourth time caught on a stolen base attempt this season.

Escaping a Gore-y Blow Out
Gore continued to look shaky into the fifth, allowing Wallner (the sole lefty in the line up) walk on four pitches. His command went haywire with two wild pitches to put Wallner on third and Lee at first. Buxton got on top of one on a 3-1 count, but the 112 MPH whack was only enough to get Wallner home on a sacrifice fly. Gore escaped as Jeffers watched a ball float by for a strikeout, having only thrown only 54% of his pitches for strike.

The Nationals turned to the bullpen to begin the sixth and the Twins went to work with Correa lobbing a single to right and Lewis slapping a hard double to left. A Ty France hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before interim skipper Miguel Cairo went to another lefty against Wallner. The pinch-hit trigger-happy Rocco Baldelli had his hands tied with Christian Vázquez as the only righty on the bench. The plan worked with Wallner landing one easily in Daylen Lile’s glove in right field.

Easy Closing 
Matthews finished the night with his first Quality Start of his career, sporting seven strikeouts and only two men on base all night on 81 pitches. It was deserving for a pitcher whose underlying numbers have suggested a top line starter. With the Nationals sporting a lefty heavy line up and the Twins carrying a one run lead, Danny Coulombe took over with three easy fly outs. 

Jax looked to recover from his Dodger Stadium blunder but once again saw traffic on the bases. Lile punched one over France’s glove for a double in the corner while Jax walked #9 hitter Jacob Young. Thankfully, the final hit off Jax this time amounted to a harmless CJ Abrams fly out to Willi Castro.

The offense remained relatively quiet with both Luis García and Jose Ferrer keeping the bases clean. Jhoan Duran proved his worth to the scouts scattered around the park with a strikeout at 102 and two weak grounders to end the ball game. It was the first 1-0 win for the squad since June 2nd, 2023.

News & Notes

—For retro weekend in celebration of the Hall of Fame, the Twins wore the classic M hats, while the Nationals wore the original “DC” hats from their inaugural season in 2005. Should have gone with an Expos hat, in my opinion.

—Kody Funderburk joined the bullpen as Anthony Misiewicz, last seen leaving an eighth inning mess in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, went to the 15-day IL with a left shoulder impingement

—Denard Span is on the broadcast this weekend, his first ever at Target Field.

—Target Field decided to join in the fun with the Meme of the Week:

What’s Next? 
The Twins continue the series with the Nationals as All Star Joe Ryan (10-4, 2.63 ERA) takes on another southpaw in Mitchell Parker (6-10, 5.00 ERA).

Postgame Interview

 

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet 

	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	TOT
Jax	8	0	20	20	25	73
Durán	16	0	24	0	6	46
Varland	0	7	16	15	0	38
Sands	0	28	0	0	0	28
Coulombe	0	0	10	16	11	37
Stewart	0	0	12	0	0	12
Funderburk	0	0	0	0	0	0
Topa	0	0	0	0	0	0

 

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[Vanimal46]

Best start of Zebby’s career? Electric stuff and command that was pinpoint. 

[arby58]

Great performance by Zebby - as good as he has gotten. Jax is clearly shut down for the next day or two, but the rest of the relief corps looks pretty good for use. Twins need to sweep this series to have any hope of playing in the post season. Nice to have Ryan up next, but they need more than one run against a LHP.

[tony&rodney]

We have seen some pretty good outings this year from Matthews, Festa, and Woods Richardson. At times their stamina wavers and they miss the target occasionally as well. Young pitchers have a ton of learning to do. They are more focused on their pitches and the game plan than veterans who trust themselves enough to pay attention to the batters and pick up a hitter's weaknesses in game. Joe Ryan is beginning to hone in on what he can do to hitters. Fun to watch all these these guys pitch.

Totally different team/game - Nick Kurtz tied an MLB record for total bases in a game (19) tonight. He broke Jimmy Foxx's Athletics record. 

[Parfigliano]

4 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

We have seen some pretty good outings this year from Matthews, Festa, and Woods Richardson. At times their stamina wavers and they miss the target occasionally as well. Young pitchers have a ton of learning to do. They are more focused on their pitches and the game plan than veterans who trust themselves enough to pay attention to the batters and pick up a hitter's weaknesses in game. Joe Ryan is beginning to hone in on what he can do to hitters. Fun to watch all these these guys pitch.

Totally different team/game - Nick Kurtz tied an MLB record for total bases in a game (19) tonight. He broke Jimmy Foxx's Athletics record. 

Impressive

[Blyleven2011]

What a quick game ...

A 1 run win and a shutout to boot ...

Zebby pitched a good solid 6 inning  game , no walks in a MLB game , he may be turning the corner of what he was in the minors  , someone who didn't walk many ...

What is a run , well it wasn't pretty , a walk , two wild pitches and a man on third , buxton hits a sacrifice fly and wallner the man on third who walked tagged up and scored  ...

What is a run , it's a win that's what it is  ...

Pitching is our strength  , twins pitchers only walked 1 batter ...

Both teams had 3 hits a piece , don't see that to often  ... 

 

[jkcarew]

17 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Best start of Zebby’s career? Electric stuff and command that was pinpoint. 

And against a team that’s actually better offensively than one might think…almost solidly league-average, in fact. Pretty encouraging for sure.

[DJL44]

mlbtraderumors posted about Yankees interest in Willi Castro. I imagine they aren't the only ones.

[Peter]

Zebby was💪💪💪🔥🔥🔥huge bounce back win after losing last game against dodgers-we need to get sweep/claw back to .500 great win!!!

[thelanges5]

.458 OPS, 30th in MLB with bases loaded.

I missed the Lewis double but slow AF Correa couldn’t score on that?

Good job Zebby and the BP, Buck comes through again. 

[darwin22]

11 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

.458 OPS, 30th in MLB with bases loaded.

I missed the Lewis double but slow AF Correa couldn’t score on that?

Good job Zebby and the BP, Buck comes through again. 

Has there EVER been a SLOWER runner than Correa in the history of this organization?

My only answer in recent history (last 20 years) is the immortal Matthew LeCroy.

I know Correa has dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries, but he's got to be the SLOWEST active mlb starting SS.

[D.C Twins]

Great work Zebby... but still...

SELL BABY SELL! (this reinforces that Paddack can go.... and pitching always brings back more than you think... can help a team get to the playoffs and then bolster the bullpen0

[D.C Twins]

18 minutes ago, darwin22 said:

Has there EVER been a SLOWER runner than Correa in the history of this organization?

My only answer in recent history (last 20 years) is the immortal Matthew LeCroy.

I know Correa has dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries, but he's got to be the SLOWEST active mlb starting SS.

He is a relative speed demon compared to what he will be doing the last 2 years of his contract.... buckle up... it's gonna be a rough ride..... 

[D.C Twins]

40 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

mlbtraderumors posted about Yankees interest in Willi Castro. I imagine they aren't the only ones.

yeah... I think he could bring back a nice return similar to Edwardo Escobar 

[Muppet]

Zebulon? I always figured it was Zebbadiah. 

[Aggies7]

Look at those sharp M hats. Don’t quite go with the jerseys though

[knothole61]

1 hour ago, darwin22 said:

Has there EVER been a SLOWER runner than Correa in the history of this organization?

My only answer in recent history (last 20 years) is the immortal Matthew LeCroy.

I know Correa has dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries, but he's got to be the SLOWEST active mlb starting SS.

Tortuga and (many years ago) catcher Earl Battey were quite slow. And, in 2025, is Correa really slower than Vasquez?

[DocBauer]

THIS is what I've been talking about! 

Sorry if I'm a little excited about Zebby tonight. But I've been saying for a few weeks now that when the baseball gods decide that 2 or your stalwart 3 SP have to succumb to injuries, what happens?

In a disappointing season there are still things you can cling to. If you've been following daily, then you know Matthews, Festa, and SWR haven't exactly been stalwarts of consistency. But even when they've had less than ideal games...maybe allowing 3 runs in the 1st...they settle down and pitched well afterward. They've all 3 flashed what they MIGHT be in the future.

Ideally, all 3 would rotate through the last couple of spots and we'd still have Lopez and Ober 100% and doing their normal thing. But I really don't know who decided that talented young arms should come up and just DOMINATE initially. Very few SP dominate from day one. Baseball is a hard game. I take decent/solid results and enjoy the development, and revel in great games like this.

The offense is still a mixed and inconsistent mess. And the Nats aren't exactly a great team. But Matthews still threw a hell of a great game.

TOMORROW is built by TODAY'S like this.

 

[DocBauer]

Am I mistaken as I've missed a few games. But isn't this the FIRST appearance of the old "M" logo hats?

My dad and I were so excited to see them! I've learned to not hate the "M Star" cap, and almost like it. And nothing will ever replace the traditional "TC" cap logo.

But that old school "M" with a swipe underscore is a look that NEVER should have gone away!

[Western SD Fan]

3 hours ago, knothole61 said:

Tortuga and (many years ago) catcher Earl Battey were quite slow. And, in 2025, is Correa really slower than Vasquez?

I would argue that even if Correa is faster than Vazquez, Vazqy runs harder to first base.  Sometimes appearance make a difference.   

[Doctor Gast]

8 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Look at those sharp M hats. Don’t quite go with the jerseys though

Great, we've been flat but look for an old M hats turn around. I'm excited. Better stop the selling. Long overdue, I'm not being facetious. Hold onto your new old M caps, because we are in for a ride. I feel it. Now we need the pinstripes, we haven't went to an ALC w/o them

[mikelink45]

The offense was offensive as we have seen all year, but maybe Zebby has turned the corner.  I have been a fan of his through his minor league ride and I think this is the pitcher we want behind Lopez and Ryan.

[Whitey333]

Nice game for Matthew's.  Not so much for the Twins.  They won which is more important and Ryan Pitching Saturday should be a guaranteed win.  Still our great offense only got 3 hits .  Go Twins!

[jmlease1]

Twins need to find a way to get more hits and punish LHP; their struggles against southpaws continue. (though notably player bias also continues around here as Correa is getting beat up for not scoring on a double that was played well and he wouldn't have been running off contact with only 1 out, while Bader handing in a K with runners and 2nd & 3rd with 1 out is ignored...)

Zebby was excellent. 7 K's, no walks? That's how you handle a lineup that's been unimpressive and shut them down. His velocity was really good and he stayed around the plate. Good work from the bullpen, but I'll admit: I thought Jax was going to blow the game again. His stuff is excellent, but he hasn't been as in control this season and has fallen down in some big moments.

Span was not great in the booth last night; he was overamped, and really needs to slow it down. I think he's got some interesting things to say, but he was struggling to get it out. Hopefully he works past it. Feels like he thought he had to rush or get cut off; even in a game where it was moving along at a brisk pace through the lack of offense, it's still baseball and you have time to take a breath. Morneau had this problem early (and still does occasionally), but worked past it. Relax a little Denard!

[Old Twins Hat]

Matthews is a still a thrower and has a ways to go before becoming top shelf.  You could see that in his last start at Colorado:  lots of whiffs, Ks and soft contact, but also some XBH and a homer.

Once he buckles down and finds his command, in the zone and off the zone, he could well be a stud.  But right now, he is just chucking it and getting pretty decent results, but not elite.  Not yet.

[Maybebaby]

8 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

.458 OPS, 30th in MLB with bases loaded.

I missed the Lewis double but slow AF Correa couldn’t score on that?

Good job Zebby and the BP, Buck comes through again. 

I thought the same where is Correa, turf toe show up?  More like his age!  On the other hand they looked a little liked the Brewers in this win...old style BB! 

[arby58]

9 hours ago, darwin22 said:

Has there EVER been a SLOWER runner than Correa in the history of this organization?

My only answer in recent history (last 20 years) is the immortal Matthew LeCroy.

I know Correa has dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries, but he's got to be the SLOWEST active mlb starting SS.

The called Willians Astudillo The Turtle for a reason.

[DJL44]

9 hours ago, darwin22 said:

Has there EVER been a SLOWER runner than Correa in the history of this organization?

My only answer in recent history (last 20 years) is the immortal Matthew LeCroy.

I know Correa has dealt with his fair share of lower body injuries, but he's got to be the SLOWEST active mlb starting SS.

Brooks Lee is slower and on the team right now.

[JDubs]

6 hours ago, Western SD Fan said:

I would argue that even if Correa is faster than Vazquez, Vazqy runs harder to first base.  Sometimes appearance make a difference.   

Yeah totally. That's why I would definitely rather have a guy hitting .190 who hUsTlEs OuT oF ThE BoX than a gold glove shortstop who is also a league average hitter.

[stringer bell]

10 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

 

I missed the Lewis double but slow AF Correa couldn’t score on that?

Correa is at the 26th percentile in sprint speed according to statcast. Not glacial, but slow. Lewis doubled to the corner. I believe there was one out and I would think it was 50-50 to send an average runner. Since C-4 is considerably slower than average, it was low percentage to send him. He had the play in front of him and made the call easy because he wasn’t going 100% to third.