MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Nerves didn’t bother Ryan Jeffers in his big league debut. Minnesota’s ballpark was empty, after all.
Driving in the first run of the game and directing a masterpiece by Jose Berrios from behind the plate, the lanky catcher sure looked like he belonged.
Berrios pitched one-hit ball over six scoreless innings, Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer and the Twins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Thursday night.
Jeffers drove in a run with a single in his first major league at-bat, going 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch to help the Twins improve to 7-1-1 in series this season.
“Not having the pressure of the fans out there might honestly make that debut a little easier,” said Jeffers, a walk-on at UNC Wilmington four years ago who has become one of the organization’s top prospects. “It’s just another one of those things COVID throws at you that you’ve got to roll with.”
Justin Smoak homered for the Brewers in the seventh off Tyler Duffey, but Cruz responded with his ninth homer and 24th and 25th RBIs of the season in the bottom of the inning for the Twins. Jorge Polanco delivered a two-run double in a three-run eighth to finish off the Brewers, who failed for the sixth time this season to raise their record above the .500 mark.
Berrios struck out eight of the first 13 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until Eric Sogard’s one-out single in the fifth inning. The Brewers were being no-hit on Tuesday by Twins starter Kenta Maeda until Sogard’s leadoff single in the ninth, a game the Twins eventually won 4-3 in 12 innings.
For the Brewers, matching season highs in runs (nine) and homers (four) on Wednesday didn’t prove to be a slump-busting win. They drew just one walk against Berrios, who had nine strikeouts, and let their opponent score first for the 18th time in 23 games this year.
“He did a really good job with his breaking ball today,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “It was just in the zone way more than we had seen on video.”
The Brewers have been outscored 33-4 in the first two innings. They’ve played eight straight contests without a run in the first or the second, and Counsell even said before the game he implored star Christian Yelich “to do something about” the early struggles.
Berrios (2-3), the two-time All-Star right-hander, took full advantage.
“When I came to the ballpark, I said, `Today’s the day. I need to do it now. I can’t wait any more time,'” said Berrios, who lowered his ERA from 5.92 to 4.75.
“We’ve seen this guy many times over,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “That’s the guy we remember.”
Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff (1-2) pitched into the sixth inning, allowing nine hits and one walk while leaning on some superb defense to keep the score close.
Eddie Rosario was thrown out at the plate in the fourth trying to score from first on a double Miguel Sano, with left fielder Brock Holt and shortstop Orlando Arcia on the relays. Sogard ended that inning with runners at the corners, leaping against the protective netting along the empty third base seats to snag a foul popup.
Comments