MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Ryan pitched a three-hitter for Minnesota’s first complete-game shutout in five years, Byron Buxton became the first player in at least nine seasons to hit a pair of 460-foot home runs in a game and the Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 6-0 Thursday.
Ryan (8-4) pitched his first complete game in 47 big league starts, striking out nine, walking none and facing no more than four batters in an inning. He had not pitched a complete game since 2018 for Cal State, Stanislaus.
“I’ve had a couple of opportunities where I thought I was pretty close and was looking at the scoreboard and thinking, ‘Oh, if I just line this up and do this and do that.’ Today, I didn’t,” Ryan said.
He pitched Minnesota’s first complete game since José Berríos’ six-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on June 7, 2018, and first complete-game shutout since José Berríos’ three-hitter at Baltimore on April 1, 2018.
Just last Friday Ryan allowed a season-high six runs against Detroit that raised his ERA in June to 5.03.
“From beginning to end, he did everything to dominate that game,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He was in the zone. All of his stuff was good. He was throwing as hard as you’ll see him throw in the eighth and ninth inning right there. He looked sharp. He was commanding his pitches. Split was good.”
Buxton hit a 466-foot home run in the first inning and a 465-foot drive in the third, his ninth multi-homer game and first since June 10 last year. He is the first player with two 460-foot homers since Statcast started tracking in 2015.
Buxton is 5 for 11 with three homers and a double in his last three games after going 1 for 34 with 17 strikeouts in his prior 10 games. He has 13 home runs this season.
Minnesota got back to .500 at 38-38 and leads the AL Central.
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