Deadspin | Twins' Zebby Matthews carries strong form into start vs. Angels

[ad_1] Sep 3, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins beginning pitcher Zebby Matthews (52) delivers a pitch towards the Chicago White Sox within the first inning at Goal Subject. Obligatory Credit score: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Photographs The Minnesota Twins by no means fairly recovered from a poor begin to the season, however supervisor Rocco Baldelli continues to be paying shut consideration to how they end.

That begins with younger beginning pitchers resembling right-hander Zebby Matthews, whom Baldelli hopes will proceed making strides when he takes the mound towards the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

Matthews (4-4, 4.73 ERA) did not get a call his final day out for the Twins (64-80), however the 25-year-old nonetheless produced glorious outcomes on Wednesday, limiting the Chicago White Sox to at least one run and three hits over six innings in Minnesota's 4-3 loss.

He departed with a 3-1 lead, however the bullpen surrendered three runs within the ninth for a 4-3 loss.

"Ending a serious league season, which is a protracted yr, on a robust, constructive notice, frequently taking the ball and exhibiting up and doing it, is an actual factor," Baldelli mentioned. "You must conquer that indirectly. You have to come out and succeed in direction of the top of the yr.

"There is a bodily factor to it, there is a psychological facet of it. Earlier than you possibly can know you are able to do it, you have to go on the market and do it. Zebby is doing that now."

The one run Matthews yielded to the White Sox final week got here on a leadoff residence run by Edgar Quero within the second inning.

"I form of simply instructed myself on the market, 'As soon as we bought two outs, simply end the inning. Maintain attacking,'" Matthews mentioned. "Quite a lot of instances I believe, with two outs, you possibly can form of get slightly snug on the market. Attempt to simply preserve attacking hitters, preserve them on their toes as finest as doable, and get the crew again within the dugout."

Matthews began towards the Angels final Sept. 11 and allowed two runs and 5 hits in 3 1/3 innings throughout a no-decision in Minneapolis.

The Angels have additionally seen their postseason hopes vanish within the second half of the season, and so they performed prefer it on Monday. They dedicated a season-high 4 errors and misplayed one other fly ball that led to 3 runs within the 12-3 loss.

"You possibly can't anticipate a pitcher to repeatedly overcome these errors," Angels interim supervisor Ray Montgomery mentioned. "A few them right here and there, positive, however not when it turns into repetitive like that. That was one among our worst video games, I assumed, defensively, all through the course of this season."

The Angels (67-77) moved standard leadoff hitter Zach Neto to the No. 3 spot within the batting order for the primary time this season. He singled his first time up and stole second, however he was picked off first after getting hit by a pitch his second time up and went hitless in his final two at-bats.

He additionally dedicated one of many Angels' errors.

Jo Adell, who had homered in 5 of his earlier seven video games for Los Angeles to offer him 35 on the season, was a late scratch on Monday due to vertigo. Matthew Lugo took his place in proper area and misplayed a excessive fly ball in proper within the ninth, permitting two runs to attain and establishing one other.

The Angels will attempt to get again on observe behind veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who's on the lookout for his first win since July 27. He's 0-2 with a 5.05 ERA in his previous seven outings.

Hendricks (6-9, 4.81 ERA) has made 5 begins towards the Twins in his profession, going 1-4 with a 5.86 ERA. He yielded seven runs on three hits and 5 walks in a season-low three-plus innings on April 25 in Minneapolis.