Taj Bradley turned a strong start into a place in Twins history, striking out 10 straight batters to set a franchise record. The right-hander did it while Minnesota beat the Astros 8-3 at Daikin Park, and he finished with 11 strikeouts over five innings for the win.
The streak was the longest by any Twins pitcher since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961, according to www.mlb.com. It also stood out because Bradley kept working through traffic on the bases instead of cruising in empty innings.
How the streak unfolded
Bradley struck out Christian Walker to end the first inning, then allowed a double and a walk to open the second before punching out the next three batters. In the third, he struck out Jose Altuve to start the inning, then escaped a pair of singles by fanning Walker and Cam Smith.
He struck out the side in the fourth before Houston finally put a ball in play to open the fifth, when Nick Allen grounded out to third base. That ended the streak, but not the impact of the outing.
Why the outing mattered
Bradley, acquired from the Rays for Griffin Jax last year, has become an important part of Minnesota’s rotation. He has 29 strikeouts over his last four starts and ranks 11th in the American League with 102 total strikeouts, even after missing two starts in May because of injury.
Manager Derek Shelton said Bradley has not let outside circumstances affect him. “He’s just gone out and … in today’s game he just kind of took it into his own hands,” Shelton said. “He just said, all right, we’re going to go punchouts. And he had, what, 11 total and a bunch in a row. So, overall, really good outing.”
Bradley called the record “cool” and said the situations on base did not change his approach. “I don’t think [it’s] a challenge at all,” he said. “It’s [like] pitching with nobody on. Just keep the same mentality, throw strikes. Find your cues and stuff like that when you can to keep runs from scoring and keep the guys stationary where they are.”
| Key Detail | Number | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Strikeouts in the game | 11 | Over five innings in a win over Houston |
| Consecutive outs by strikeout | 10 | Twins franchise record since 1961 |
| Strikeouts over last four starts | 29 | Current run of form |
| Total strikeouts in the American League | 102 | Ranked 11th in the league |
The outing gave Minnesota a decisive win and added another layer to Bradley’s early impact with the club. In just his 22nd start in a Twins uniform, he delivered one of the most dominant strikeout performances the team has seen in decades.
