Overview
- Taj Bradley, starting Thursday in Kansas City, worked six scoreless innings in the Twins’ 5-1 win over the Royals.
- With two on and two outs in the third, he froze Bobby Witt Jr. on a 100 mph fastball that stands as the fastest by a Twins starter since pitch tracking began in 2008.
- Home-plate umpire Cory Blaser called the pitch a third strike, and Bradley later escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Lane Thomas to chase a low-and-away cutter.
- Minnesota’s bullpen held the one-run lead, then ninth-inning homers by Matt Wallner, Kody Clemens, and Josh Bell put the game out of reach to avoid a sweep.
- Across two starts, Bradley owns a 0.87 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, and the Twins are 2-0 in his outings and 0-4 in all others, in what early signs suggest could be a breakout.