Matthews stymies Nats with 6 scoreless frames in Twins' victory
MINNEAPOLIS -- Zebby Matthews was so good on Friday night that the question wasn’t whether he would finish the sixth inning. It was whether he would keep going after that.
The Twins removed Matthews after six dominant innings against the Nationals, but the second-year right-hander had made his point. Matthews turned in easily the finest start of his young Major League career, scarcely breaking a sweat as Minnesota beat Washington, 1-0, at Target Field. He allowed two hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven, and was never so much as bothered by a serious threat.
Matthews averaged 97.5 mph on his four-seam fastball and located it well all night. He threw three breaking balls and an improved changeup, suffocating the Washington lineup in one of the best-pitched games by any Twins starter in 2025.
“I had the full mix tonight,” he said. “I felt like I did a pretty good job keeping the hitters guessing up there. [Catcher Ryan Jeffers] called a really good game there. I thought, for the most part, I executed really well. I was able to make big pitches there in some 3-2 counts. That helped with two outs to finish innings and stay attacking.” He retired the first 11 Nats in order before permitting a two-out double in the fourth, and also allowed a two-out single in the fifth. But Matthews never wavered in his control of the game, outdueling All-Star Mackenzie Gore en route to his second win of the year and the third of his career.
Perhaps the best indication of how well Matthews threw, came in his final inning. He retired Jacob Young to open the sixth, bringing up the top of the Washington order for the third time in the game.
Manager Rocco Baldelli often removes his starter, especially younger starters, before they face a batter for the third time. As if to magnify that, the first two Nats hitters, CJ Abrams and James Wood, are both left-handed and dangerous. But Baldelli stuck with Matthews, and he was rewarded for his faith. Matthews got Abrams to fly out, and finished the inning by catching Wood looking at a beautifully located 97.8-mph fastball.