The Minnesota Twins continued their strong stretch Tuesday night, riding a masterful performance from Bailey Ober to a 3-0 victory over the Miami Marlins in the opener of their interleague series.
Ober delivered the best outing of his major league career, tossing a two-hit shutout for his first career complete game shutout as the Twins won their third consecutive game. The right-hander needed just 89 pitches to finish the job, striking out seven without issuing a walk in his third career complete game.
After allowing two early hits through the first four innings, Ober completely silenced Miami’s lineup the rest of the way, retiring the final 17 batters he faced. His efficient dominance highlighted a rare feat in today’s game, as he became just the third pitcher in the majors this season to throw a complete game. Miami’s Sandy Alcantara recorded a shutout against the Chicago White Sox on April 1, while Seattle’s George Kirby went eight innings in a hard-luck loss to Texas on April 7.
The Twins broke through in the fifth inning against Miami starter Eury Pérez. After Byron Buxton reached base and moved into scoring position, Trevor Larnach lined a single to put runners on the corners and set up an aggressive double-steal sequence. Buxton electrified the crowd by swiping home plate while Larnach took second, giving Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Moments later, Ryan Jeffers launched a two-run homer to extend the advantage to 3-0, which proved more than enough support for Ober.
Despite taking the loss, Pérez turned in a solid effort for Miami. The talented young right-hander held Minnesota hitless through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He finished with six innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking three to fall to 2-5 on the season.
Miami’s bullpen struggled with control afterward, as reliever Josh Ekness issued three walks in the seventh inning, though the Marlins managed to avoid further damage.
The series continues Wednesday with Simeon Woods Richardson scheduled to start for Minnesota. Woods Richardson enters searching for his first win of the season at 0-5 with a 6.92 ERA. Miami will counter with Max Meyer, who has been one of the Marlins’ most consistent starters, carrying a 2-0 record and a 2.79 ERA into the matchup.
