Player of the gameZebby MatthewsMIN7.0ip 4h 1er 7k
The Twins keep taking hits. The remaining players keep stepping up. On a day when the Twins received yet more discouraging news, Zebby Matthews got the chance to set the tone for a resilient team and he did exactly that. Matthews pitched seven outstanding innings for his third straight strong start, and Minnesota blasted three homers off of Peter Lambert as the Twins opened a tough road trip with a 5-4 win against the Astros at Daikin Park. Earlier in the afternoon, the Twins learned they would be without reliever Anthony Banda for a period of months due to a lat injury, and that Byron Buxton’s status is in question due to what has been diagnosed as a right hip impingement. But they came out and played one of their crispest games of the year, with strong infield defense, an exceptional start from Matthews and another night racking up extra bases at the plate. It’s the kind of thing they’ve been doing since the beginning of Spring Training, when an injury to Pablo López became the first of a litany of injuries this team has had to overcome. But they continue undaunted, getting back up every time they get knocked down. “But this is a resilient group,” said manager Derek Shelton. “Anything that gets thrown at them, they continue to go. I was really proud. I thought Lambert threw the ball really well. We had a couple runs, and they kind of answered back, but our guys keep going.” Matthews, who did not make the team out of camp and initially was recalled from Triple-A due to an injury to Taj Bradley, relished the chance to put his team on his back following the disheartening news about Banda. “It means a lot,” he said. “I think the whole pitching staff, starters and bullpen, we have each other’s backs. So when somebody goes down, we’re going to pick each other up. When we have a bad outing out there, we’re all going to pick each other up. It’s a fun group to be a part of for sure.” As for the baseball side of it, outings like Matthews’ on Monday will be critical if the Twins are to weather the loss of Banda, an injury that thins an already stretched relief corps. The third-year right-hander has shown an improved ability to pitch deep into games this year, going at least six innings in eight of his nine starts and lasting seven innings four times. That’s two more than any other Twins starter, even though he didn’t join the rotation until May 14.
