Twins Play Spoiler Role, Shut Out Yankees 7-0 Behind Woods Richardson’s Gem
The Minnesota Twins may not be heading to the postseason this year, but they’re looking to make an impact on the teams that are. Over the next week and a half, they’ll face off against the New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians, and Texas Rangers, all of whom are vying for a wild card berth. On Monday night, the Twins kicked off this stretch with a dominant 7-0 win over the Yankees at Target Field, thanks in large part to a stellar outing from starter Simeon Woods Richardson.
Woods Richardson turned in one of the best performances of his career, tossing six shutout innings and racking up a career-high 11 strikeouts. He relied heavily on his splitter, which accounted for eight of his swing-and-miss pitches and made up about 36% of his total pitches. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge did manage to work a walk off Woods Richardson in the sixth, but the Twins’ starter finished strong, striking out the next two batters to end his outing.
A Career-Best Outing for Woods Richardson
For Woods Richardson, the win was a significant one, as he outdueled Yankees starter Carlos Rodón and helped the Twins secure their first shutout win over the Yankees since 2008. “I’ve always been one of those guys who wants to face the best, compete against the best,” Woods Richardson said after the game. “In the big leagues, everybody is the best. But there’s also powerhouses in this league. If I can knock down the powerhouses, it’s like a miniature game that you play with yourself.”
The Twins’ offense also came alive against the Yankees, with Austin Martin and Brooks Lee leading the charge. Martin beat out a would-be double play ball in the third to score the Twins’ first run, and Lee added a solo homer in the fourth. After Rodón departed, the Twins broke through against the Yankees’ bullpen, with Martin delivering a key double to left that scored three runs and helped put the game out of reach.
Martin’s Highlight-Reel Play
But the play of the game may have come in the eighth, when Martin tracked down a fly ball in left field and made a spectacular catch, tumbling over the wall in the process. Though the catch was eventually ruled an out due to spectator interference, Martin’s fearless play drew a roar from the crowd and capped off an impressive all-around performance. “He breaks the game open. He’s flying in the stands making plays,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Martin. “We’re getting everything from Austin Martin right now. It’s something that we always thought this was right there.”
With the win, the Twins improved to 66-84 on the season, while the Yankees fell to 83-67. The two teams will continue their series on Tuesday, with the Twins looking to play spoiler once again. For more on this game and the rest of the Twins’ season, click here to read the full article.
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