ANAHEIM -- If Thursday night at Angel Stadium was about Walker Jenkins proving his raw power belongs in the Major Leagues, Friday demonstrated what happens when Minnesota’s rookie pitching matches that potential.
Left-hander Connor Prielipp -- who made his debut back on April 22 -- delivered the most polished start of his career, tossing seven scoreless innings to anchor a 3-0 victory over the Angels. Combined with Jenkins’ second home run in as many nights, the win offered a compelling look at Minnesota’s next generation of talent.
Prielipp dictated the tempo from the opening pitch, striking out the side in the bottom of the first inning -- including striking out Mike Trout looking on an 85.5 mph curveball -- to establish complete control. The 25-year-old southpaw worked efficiently through 92 pitches, scattering just two hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Mixing a sharp mid-80s curveball and slider with aggressive 95 mph four-seamers, Prielipp kept the Angels off-balance all evening. He finished his night just as dominantly as he began it, striking out two more in the bottom of the seventh to hand the bullpen a clean sheet.
Prielipp provided the control on the mound, but the lineup once again saw Jenkins build on his breakthrough -- a development manager Derek Shelton anticipated before first pitch.
"The mindset has been just overwhelming in terms of how well he's handled himself because of the fact he's 21 years old," Shelton said. "The confidence that he showed, the humility he showed, the ability to be a good teammate. ... This kid's gonna hit. He had his first big moment as a Twin in terms of the game-tying homer, but there's gonna be plenty more."
With Minnesota holding a 2-0 lead in the top of the seventh, Jenkins stepped in and launched his second home run in 24 hours, putting the finishing touches on a 3-for-4 night at the plate.
Coming off Thursday's extra-inning heartbreak, the win pulled Minnesota back to even in the four-game series. And for a Twins team looking toward the future, Friday showed that its next chapter is already starting to take shape.