Twins Clobber Royals, Zebby Matthews Pitching Debut Is Crisp

MINNEAPOLIS -- — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the Kansas City Royals 13-3 on Tuesday night.

“The first strikeout definitely helped calm the nerves,” Matthews said. 

 

Matt Wallner (three runs, two hits) and Jose Miranda (three hits, two RBI) led the barrage against Lugo (13-7), and Max Kepler (three-run) and Kyle Farmer (two-run) hit homers off the bullpen. Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who had eight of their 15 hits for extra bases in a rousing show of support for the rookie.

Lugo was charged with nine hits, a career-high-tying eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.

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The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.

Twins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean.

The Royals Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon. The opening day starter is sixth in MLB in strikeouts. For the Twins Louie Varland (0-4, 6.46 ERA) was on track to start the final game of the series. He pitched 4 2/3 innings on Friday in the second half of a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland as the 27th player.

The first pitch is 12:10 PM on ESPN 102.3/AM 1000 KSOO.