Justin Verlander pitched like the machine he is but he was one-upped by Jake Odorizzi and the Twins’ bullpen at Target Field on Monday night.
Verlander allowed just two hits while striking out seven over six innings, but one of the two hits he allowed was a solo homer to Ehire Adrianza. Odorizzi, meanwhile, pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits while striking out seven.
Taylor Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Blake Parker pitched the ninth to earn his sixth save of the season as the Twins beat the Astros 1-0.
Look at the list of ace pitchers the Twins have now beaten this season:
- Corey Kluber, Indians
- Carlos Carrasco, Indians
- Jake Arrieta, Phillies
- Jacob deGrom, Mets
- Justin Verlander, Astros
It’s a good sign when nearly a third of a team’s wins are in games against those guys, and it’s a big reason why the Twins (17-9) have the second-best winning percentage (.654) in the majors.
Minnesota didn’t homer against Kluber, but they homered once against Carrasco, twice against Arrieta, three times versus deGrom and once in the win over Verlander.
That’s seven of their 50 homers (franchise record through the end of April) against some of the toughest starting pitchers in the game.
Minnesota can make it six wins over ace-caliber pitchers when they face right-hander Gerritt Cole on Tuesday night. The Twins will match up with right-hander Michael Pineda, who lost his last start against the Astros in Houston.
