The Minnesota Twins continued their recent surge Thursday afternoon, rolling past the Miami Marlins 9-1 behind a dominant season debut from rookie right-hander Zebby Matthews at Target Field.
Matthews, recalled from Triple-A before the game, delivered seven scoreless innings and gave the Twins exactly the kind of lift they needed as Minnesota secured consecutive series victories for the first time in a month.
The 24-year-old allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five on 83 pitches. Matthews had been the final cut from the Twins’ rotation during spring training, but his return to the majors may have forced the club into a difficult decision after such an impressive outing.
Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said Matthews was promoted partly to help ease the workload on the rotation, but the young right-hander pitched like someone determined to stay.
The Twins offense backed him early with a five-run explosion in the second inning against Marlins starter Braxton Garrett, who was making his first major league appearance in nearly two years.
Austin Martin highlighted the inning with a two-run double, and Josh Bell followed with another two-run double as Minnesota quickly seized control. Martin finished with two hits, a walk and three RBIs, while James Outman also contributed two hits, a walk and three RBIs in a balanced offensive attack.
The Twins piled up pressure throughout the afternoon, taking advantage of Garrett’s shaky command. Garrett lasted only 1 1/3 innings, surrendering five runs on four hits and five walks.
Despite the rough line, Garrett showed flashes of promise early. After loading the bases to begin the game, the left-hander escaped the first inning with three consecutive strikeouts.
Garrett’s return marked an emotional milestone after a long recovery journey. The seventh overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft debuted with Miami in 2020 and emerged as a reliable starter during the 2023 season, posting a 3.66 ERA across 30 starts. Injuries derailed his momentum in 2024, as forearm issues eventually led to surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament during the offseason.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s turnaround continues to gather momentum. After enduring a brutal 5-16 stretch from April 15 through May 8, the Twins have now won four of their last five games. They captured two of three games in Cleveland last weekend before taking another series from Miami to open this nine-game homestand.
The Marlins avoided the shutout with a late run, but Miami’s offense struggled all afternoon against Matthews and the Twins bullpen.
Miami now heads to Tampa Bay on Friday, where Janson Junk is scheduled to face Jesse Scholtens and the Rays.
The Twins continue their homestand Friday night against Milwaukee. Joe Ryan is expected to start for Minnesota, while the Brewers have yet to announce a starter.
