Twins pull off 1-0 win over Nationals behind Zebby Matthews' strong start

Bobby Nightengale, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Jul 25, 2025

Published in Baseball

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MINNEAPOLIS — No matter which direction the Twins front office takes before next Thursday’s MLB trade deadline, they’re hoping Zebby Matthews will be an important part of their rotation for the next several seasons.

Matthews pitched six scoreless innings, permitting only two baserunners and striking out seven, as he led the Twins to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals in their series opener Friday at Target Field. The Twins sit three games under .500 with a 50-53 record, and they’re four games out of a wild-card spot.

It was the first scoreless start of Matthews’ young big league career, and his offense didn’t offer him much run support.

The Twins drew six walks against Nationals All-Star lefty MacKenzie Gore, and it amounted to a mere one run. In a game in which they tallied three hits, they scored their run in an inning with no hits. Matt Wallner drew a one-out walk in the fifth inning, advanced two bases on a pair of wild pitches and scored when Byron Buxton lined a sacrifice fly to left field.

After Matthews pitched, three Twins relievers drawing interest on the trade market — Danny Coulombe, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran — pitched scoreless innings with scouts from at least seven teams in attendance.

Jax stranded two runners in the eighth inning, inducing a inning-ending flyout against Nationals leadoff batter CJ Abrams. Duran secured his 16th save of the season on six pitches.

Matthews retired his first 11 batters without a ball leaving the infield, completing his first three innings in a breezy 33 pitches, which included four strikeouts. Luis García Jr. gave the Nationals their first baserunner when he bashed a two-out double off the wall in right-center field, but Matthews was out of the inning one pitch later via a foul out.

This was the version of Matthews the Twins had seen in glimpses since spring training, drawing heavy praise from teammates and coaches. He overpowered hitters with a fastball that averaged 97.5 mph and sliders that topped 90 mph. Add in a change-up that produced weak contact, command of his cutter and curveball, and, well, that sums up the dilemma for opposing batters.

Matthews threw a first-pitch strike to 13 of his 20 batters, but he reached only two three-ball counts against a Nationals offense that extended its scoreless streak to 19 consecutive innings.

The Twins squandered early opportunities against Gore, who would be one of the top arms on the trade market if the Nationals made him available. Gore permitted one hit in five innings, but he matched a career high with six walks.

Gore opened the second inning with consecutive walks. Wallner flew out to left field on a down-the-middle fastball, and Brooks Lee grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Twins stranded two runners in the first inning, too.

Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis provided consecutive hits in the sixth inning after the Nationals inserted reliever Cole Henry, putting two runners in scoring position with one out, but it was fruitless. Harrison Bader struck out and — after Ty France was hit by a pitch — Wallner flew out to leave the bases loaded.

The Twins’ three hits were their fewest in a win since June 17, 2023.