Why Taj Bradley Could Be Minnesota Twins’ Saving Grace
The 25-year-old is off to a dominant start this season.
It's impossible to evaluate a pitcher after two starts, but Minnesota Twins right-hander Taj Bradley has been as good as his team could've hoped for so far this year. The 25-year-old is 1-0 with a 0. 87 ERA after tossing a six-inning shutout in the Twins' 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday.
Minnesota is now 2-4, and its only other win was in Bradley's first start on Saturday. The club beat the Baltimore Orioles after he allowed one run on three hits over 4. 1 frames.
He also logged nine strikeouts against three walks, and reliever Anthony Banda earned the victory after finishing the fifth inning. Bradley earned his first win of the season on Thursday, as he left the game with a 1-0 lead. The score stayed that way until the Twins scored again in the top of the eighth, and the closest Kansas City got was 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.
Bradley allowed five hits with three punchouts and one walk, tossing 65 strikes out of 100 pitches. The Georgia native didn't give up any extra-base hits and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. Bradley's form to start this season is unusual, as he's 19-27 with a 4.