Twins 9, Marlins 1: Matthews Shuts Down Miami in Season Debut

The lead

May 14, 2026 - Minneapolis - The Minnesota Twins needed rotation help and got a statement start. Zebby Matthews threw seven scoreless innings in his season debut, Austin Martin and Josh Bell doubled in a five-run second, and Minnesota beat the Miami Marlins 9-1 at Target Field, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

The Twins won consecutive series for the first time in a month, taking two of three from Miami after the same at Cleveland last weekend, according to AP.

How the game turned

Matthews, the last cut from Minnesota’s rotation race in spring training, was promoted to manage workloads. He allowed four hits and one walk on 83 pitches with five strikeouts, per AP.

Miami starter Braxton Garrett, making his first major league appearance in nearly two years after elbow surgery, recorded only four outs. He loaded the bases in the first but finished with three straight strikeouts, then unraveled in the second when Martin and Bell delivered two-run doubles in a five-run frame. James Outman also had two hits, a walk, and three RBIs.

Miami’s lone run came in the eighth on Otto Lopez’s RBI single.

Pitching and matchup notes

Garrett walked five and allowed five runs on four hits before his early exit. The seventh overall pick in 2016, he debuted in 2020 and posted a 3.66 ERA over 30 starts in 2023 before forearm trouble and Tommy John surgery limited him since, per AP.

Matthews (1-0) pitched like someone who belongs in the rotation from the first pitch.

Bats that changed the board

Minnesota has won four of its last five after a 5-16 stretch from April 15 through May 8. Martin and Outman set the table; the Twins’ lineup kept pressure on a bullpen that entered early.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

Minnesota’s 16 AthX Engine team FP paired with Matthews’s 27 pitching FP and Martin’s 11 hitting FP on the daily board. Long starts with zeroes on the board still dominate AthX Engine team totals even when the offense adds insurance late. AthX Engine scoring is not the same as dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Miami hosts Tampa Bay on Friday with Janson Junk opposing Jesse Scholtens. Minnesota welcomes Milwaukee with Joe Ryan on the mound, per AP.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB gameday wrap, CBS Sports recap, Associated Press via CBS, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*