Zebby Matthews vexes Rangers' batters as Twins defeat Texas, 4-1

Phil Miller, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Sep 23, 2025

Published in Baseball

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Zebby Matthews and the Twins on Tuesday discovered someone having an even more unhappy September than they are. They sure made it look like fun.

Matthews’ second pitch of the night flew 411 feet and landed a dozen rows up in the right-field seats, a leadoff home run by Rangers DH Joc Pederson that was a bad omen for a pitcher who had allowed 15 runs in 13 2/3 innings in his three previous September starts. But Matthews shook it off and pitched seven impressive innings, not allowing another Ranger to reach third base, leading the Twins to a 4-1 victory at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The loss was the Rangers’ eighth in a row and eliminated them from the American League playoff race.

The win was the Twins’ second in a row, a modest streak of success, perhaps, but only the second time they’ve won back-to-back games since Aug. 8.

While Matthews was flustering the Rangers, World Series champions just two seasons ago, with sliders that kept diving to the bottom of the strike zone, the Twins’ batting order put together a couple of two-run innings to back him up.

Maybe that doesn’t sound like much, but the Twins had only scored in four of their previous 40 innings entering Tuesday’s game, so rallying to victory, even from just a one-run deficit, was a mood-lifter for the visitors. Not to mention, even with the loss, Texas has still outscored the Twins, 35-17, in their four meetings this season.

The lineup was boosted by the return of both of the Twins injured catchers. Christian Vázquez started behind the plate for the first time since suffering an infection in his right shoulder in early August; he singled, drew two walks, was hit by a pitch — and even stole his first base of the season.

Ryan Jeffers, meanwhile, was activated from the concussion list just before game time, and served as the designated hitter after missing nearly three weeks. Jeffers singled, driving in a run, in four at-bats.

The Twins managed eight hits against Rangers right-hander Patrick Corbin and five relievers, six singles and doubles by Kody Clemens and Edouard Julien.

Clemens’ double leading off the third inning sparked the Twins’ first scores of the night. Vázquez followed by dropping a line drive into center field, moving Clemens to third. He scored moments later on Byron Buxton’s ground ball, which forced out Vázquez at second base. But back-to-back singles by Austin Martin and Jeffers brought Buxton home with the go-ahead run.

In the sixth inning, Rangers left-hander Hoby Milner walked Carson McCusker and surrendered singles to Brooks Lee and Clemens, adding a run to the Twins’ lead. Martin added another run later in the inning on another ground ball; Texas shortstop Ezequiel Duran took the force out at third base, allowing Lee to score.

Luke Keaschall left the game early after stealing second base and jamming his left thumb on the base in the process.

Kody Funderburk and Cole Sands pitched a scoreless inning apiece, the latter earning his third save in the process, to preserve the victory and eliminate the Rangers.

But it’s Matthews who showed the most on the mound, needing only 90 pitches to equal his career-high of seven innings pitched. Matthews struck out six Rangers and didn’t walk a batter, allowing only three singles after Pederson’s leadoff home run.

The Twins went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position; the Rangers, by contrast, were just 0 for 1.

A pitcher only occasionally trusted to face opposing hitters three times in a game, this time Matthews didn’t allow a hit his third time through the Texas lineup. In fact, if not for a Royce Lewis throwing error, Matthews would have retired the last 11 hitters he faced.