MINNEAPOLIS – August began with Zebby Matthews in the Minor Leagues. It ended with him looking like the Twins’ best starter.
Matthews kept up his scorching run of form with the longest and arguably best start of his young career on Sunday, smothering the White Sox over 8 1/3 innings as Minnesota secured a desperately needed 5-1 win in the finale of a three-game series. The Twins snapped a four-game losing streak, averted a sweep and delivered a boost to their dwindling playoff chances.
He was efficient, getting into the ninth with 89 pitches, allowing him the chance to try to finish the shutout. And though he didn’t get it, the crowd at Target Field made sure to show its appreciation all the same. Matthews received a boisterous ovation as he took the mound for the ninth, and another as he walked off the field after allowing a couple of hits one out later.
“It was really cool,” Matthews said of the ovations. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had an experience like that. So yeah, it was really cool to have.”
For Matthews, it was the continuation of a great month in which he’s made the most of a second chance. Following a strong start against the Mariners on July 31, he was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to make roster room as the Twins acquired three pitchers at the Trade Deadline.
He didn’t actually make a start for the Saints, though, as Joe Ryan went on the injured list soon thereafter. Matthews had a couple of somewhat scruffy starts upon his return, but over his last three games, he’s been outstanding. Over his last seven starts dating back to July 24, he has a 3.21 ERA over 42 innings.
“Extremely impressive,” said manager Derek Shelton. “I mean, you're talking about a White Sox lineup that we've seen that can do a lot of damage, and they can do a lot of damage quickly, and extremely left-handed. … He was really impressive. He kept them off balance. He was efficient. He set the tone.”
Matthews took a perfect game bid into the sixth inning before Drew Romo broke it up with two outs. Sam Antonacci followed with a double to put the shutout in jeopardy as well, but Matthews got Munetaka Murakami to fly out to escape the threat.
He breezed through 2 2/3 more innings, pitching efficiently if not as dominantly as six days ago against the Athletics. Matthews has won five consecutive starts.
“I don’t really think about [the perfect game bid] a ton,” he said. “I try to take it a pitch at a time, kind of let everything else kind of take care of itself. They swung early, so I’ll take early outs. They had some loud outs, but we’ll take those. We’ll keep building, keep moving on.”
Matthews’ hot streak has come at a time when it’s badly needed. With Ryan likely still sidelined with a strained left glute for at least two more weeks, the Twins’ starting depth has again been winnowed dangerously low. Kendry Rojas, who would be the team’s sixth starter, is also on the IL. So having Matthews not only pitch effectively but deep into games has been a godsend.
“He's been putting it together lately,” said catcher Ryan Jeffers. “Three in a row, he's been really, really good. It's good. You know he's always had the stuff, and some of the results weren't going his way. To see the results going his way, him pitching deep into games, it's not only awesome for him, but it's awesome for the team.
"We need starts like that to give our bullpen a break and to come out on the right sides of some of these games.”
The Twins remain four games behind Cleveland for the third and final American League Wild Card spot, with three teams between them and the Guardians.