James Paxton was just a little bit better than Fernando Romero on Friday night as the Mariners beat the Twins 2-1 in Seattle.
Romero was fantastic again. The rookie right-hander, making just his fifth MLB start, allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in a career-high seven innings.
“I thought Romero threw the ball exceptionally well for them,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said, according to TwinsBaseball.com. “We didn’t know much about him, being a young guy that just got to the big leagues here a short time ago. He had really good stuff.”
Romero is now 2-1 with a 1.88 in 29 2/3 innings.
Paxton, the guy who had an Eagle land on him during the Twins’ Home Opener, was again brilliant. The lefty gave up just three hits and walked none while striking out 11 over seven innings.
If you listen closely in the video you’ll hear a screaming Eagle sound effect after every Paxton strikeout, which has to have something to do with what happened to Paxton at Target Field.
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The lone run Paxton allowed came on a solo homer by Max Kepler in the fifth inning.
Paxton’s month of May included throwing a no-hitter against the Blue Jays and striking out 16 in a game against Oakland.
Game two of the three-game series in Seattle is Saturday at 9:10 p.m. Jake Odorizzi is on the mound against Wade LeBlanc.
