Chris Paddack's strong start helps Twins shut out Rockies in series opener

Paddack pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings in the Minnesota victory.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Chris Paddack (20) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on June 10, 2024. / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Paddack pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the Twins to a 5-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies in their series opener Monday night at Target Field in Minneapolis. 

Paddack held the Rockies (23-43) to six hits — all singles — while fanning six in the victory. 

The Twins (35-31), meanwhile, did just enough on offense to allow Paddack leave with a lead and then plated three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the game away.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead during the third inning when Christian Vazquez scored Manny Margot, who doubled the previous at-bat and took third on an error, with a sacrifice fly to right field.

They doubled their lead during the fourth inning when Carlos Correa hit a two-out double to right field that scored Royce Lewis, who had reached on a fielder’s choice. 

With Paddack on the mound, the Twins didn’t need much more than that. Paddack threw 93 pitches, 61 of which went for strikes, and lowered his earned-run average to 4.76 on the season. 

The Twins got some insurance runs in the eighth inning when Trevor Larnach scored Vazquez, who led off the inning with a double and was advanced to third on a single from Willi Castro, with a sacrifice fly to center field. Vazquez went 1 for 2 on the night with an RBI and the run scored.

Then Lewis followed up with a two-run homer that went 435 feet into left-center field for a 5-0 lead.

The strong effort from Paddack helped offset a solid night form Rockies starter Dakota Hudson, who allowed just two runs off four hits while fanning one across 6 2/3 innings in the loss.

Steven Okert relieved Paddack in the seventh inning and pitched 2/3 hitless innings, Griffin Jax pitched a hitless eighth inning while fanning all three and Diego Castillo pitched a hitless ninth inning to put an exclamation point on the victory, the Twins' second straight.

The Twins have not yet announced their starter for the second of their three-game series against the Rockies on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m.