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.
Lefty Danny Coulombe was ready, and might have come in if a batter had reached. But no one did.
“He threw the ball so well that you kind of just have to let him keep pitching there,” Baldelli said. “There would be other outings, in the middle of the outing, after a guy has thrown so many pitches, you may see the command slip, but that didn’t happen.”
Coulombe came in for the seventh before handing off to Griffin Jax and then Jhoan Duran, but few would’ve raised an eyebrow if Matthews had gotten another inning.
“He was holding 97s in the sixth today, and it was only 80 pitches,” Jeffers said. “I think he could’ve kept going.”
The performance recalled what Matthews showed the Twins in Spring Training, when he was their best pitcher, and early in the year in Triple-A. But it was the first time he had performed like this against big league hitters in a regular-season game.
“For me personally, it’s a big confidence boost,” he said. “I had some really good outings in Triple-A to start the year, had a really good spring, then got up here and was very inconsistent. … It’s something I know I can do. I’ve seen it in Triple-A and Spring Training. To finally get results up here is big.”
It’s big personally for Matthews, but also for the Twins. With David Festa’s injury earlier in the week, Minnesota has three starters currently on the injured list. It’s expected that on Sunday, the Twins will use an opener and throw Travis Adams as the bulk pitcher in something like a bullpen game.
If Matthews can continue to do anything approaching what he did Friday, it will significantly improve the team’s chances at a late run at the postseason.
“He carries himself really well,” said Jeffers. “I think he believes in his stuff. Any time a starter’s throwing 98, I think you feel good about that. but you combine it with the touch that he has and the offspeed options that he can go to, I think he can be a really, really good long term big league starter.”