Joe Ryan's perfect game bid leads Twins to another shutout
Joe Ryan took a perfect game into the seventh inning as the Minnesota Twins earned a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.
Ryan was dominant in his second career major league start, sitting down the first 19 batters he faced. The right-hander acquired in the Nelson Cruz trade threw seven shutout innings while striking out four batters on the night.
With Ryan making a bid for history, the Twins took the lead in the fifth when Nick Gordon drove in Rob Refsnyder on an RBI double. The Twins doubled their lead in the top of the seventh when Miguel Sanó launched a solo home run to go ahead 2-0.
BIGGG fly No. 25 for Sanó! 💣@Twins | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/jSiu4JUrAG
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) September 8, 2021
Ryan's perfect game ended in the bottom of the seventh on an Amed Rosario single. Rosario advanced to third on a throwing error by Ryan but he regained his composure and got flyouts from José Ramírez and Franmil Reyes to end the inning.
The Twins added a run on a fielder's choice in the top of the eighth but the victory was all about Ryan's performance.
Coming off a debut, Ryan looks like a promising prospect for an organization desperate for pitching. If he can continue his fast start, he should earn a spot in the rotation next season.
