ANAHEIM -- Friday night at Angel Stadium belonged to Connor Prielipp and Walker Jenkins, two young Twins who keep flashing why Minnesota is so eager about what comes next.
Prielipp, making his first start since his debut on April 22, turned in the best outing of his career and carried the Twins to a 3-0 win over the Angels. The left-hander worked seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out eight on 92 pitches.
He came out attacking and never really let go. Prielipp opened the game by striking out the side in the first inning, freezing Mike Trout on an 85.5 mph curveball along the way.
From there, he kept the Angels guessing with a mix of a sharp mid-80s curveball, slider and 95 mph four-seamers. He ended just as strong, striking out two more in the seventh before handing the ball to the bullpen with the shutout intact.
While Prielipp controlled the game on the mound, Jenkins kept building on the burst he started Thursday night. The 21-year-old delivered his second home run in as many days in the top of the seventh, a blast that helped finish off a 3-for-4 night at the plate and put Minnesota fully in command.
Manager Derek Shelton said Jenkins has handled the moment in impressive fashion.
"The mindset has been just overwhelming in terms of how well he's handled himself because of the fact he's 21 years old," Shelton said. "The confidence that he showed, the humility he showed, the ability to be a good teammate. ...
This kid's gonna hit. He had his first big moment as a Twin in terms of the game-tying homer, but there's gonna be plenty more."
The Twins entered the night coming off Thursday’s extra-inning loss, and the victory evened the four-game series. More importantly, it offered another glimpse of the talent Minnesota believes is already arriving.
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Manager Derek Shelton and players such as Taylor Rogers and Ryan Jeffers welcomed the chance to be around him and pick up whatever they could from his experience. Carew means something on both sides of this matchup, with his number retired by the Twins and the Angels, and his presence offered a reminder that some baseball lessons go beyond the box score, even if the full impact of the visit is still more felt than measured. [Read more 🡒]