MINNEAPOLIS _ Three outings. Two of them dominant. These are hints that Joe Berrios is ready to take his game to new heights.
The Twins right-hander was mostly unhittable again on Thursday as he led the Twins to a 4-0 victory over the White Sox in the opening game of a four game series at Target Field. Joe Mauer fueled Berrios' night by driving in three runs with two singles _ including the 2,000th of his career.
Berrios was unstoppable, tying a career high with 11 strikeouts over seven shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, one during each time through Chicago's batting order
Through six innings, Berrios amassed nine strikeouts with no walks. He only went to a three-ball count twice during that period.
And he did it mostly with a fastball that hit 92-95 miles an hour on the radar and a wicked curveball that flummoxed Chicago hitters all night.
Even former Twin Roy Smalley took to Twitter in the seventh inning to praise Berrios
"My goodness. This is one of the biggest overmatches I have ever seen," Smalley wrote. "Chisox have absolutely no chance against Berrios' stuff. I will say again: he just needs to pound the strike zone. Hitters only chance is to get to 2-0 or 3-1."
And that rarely happened. The Twins led 2-0 in the late innings, but the deficit seemed greater as not one White Sox player reached second base on Berrios' watch.
The Twins scored twice in the third inning. Byron Buxton singled to left, stole second _ his 27th consecutive steal, going back to last season _ then advanced to third on a 200-foot fly ball to center. Despite the defense pulled in and Brian Dozier hitting a grounder right at shortstop Tim Anderson, Buxton scored from third. Anderson's throw was just in time but low and hard for catcher Omar Navarez to handle. Buxton scored as the ball got away from Navarez for an error.
Mauer, meanwhile, took one step closer to reaching 2,000 hits when his single to right-center drove in Dozier. That gave him 1,999 for his career. The Twins, on cue, played Prince's smash hit song by the same name.
Mauer batted again in the fifth, when the crowd showed its savvy. Cheers of "Let's go Joe," started up as he faced Giolito. Mauer fell behind 1-2 before Giolito struck him out swinging at a curveball that dropped from the bottom of the strike zone.
The Twins threatened in the seventh, and Mauer got another chance. With runners on second and third, and while facing left-hander Aaron Bummer, Mauer bounced a 2-2 pitch up the middle and into the outfield for a two-run single as fans roared.
Mauer became the 287th member of the 2,000 hit club and joined Kirby Puckett and Rod Carew as Twins who have reached the milestone.
Mauer, while standing at first base, doffed his helmet toward fans as they cheered his accomplishment. He was stranded there as the inning ended, when fans gave him another ovation and teammates, while on their way to their defensive positions, took turns giving him hugs.
Just as importantly, Mauer's hit put the Twins ahead 4-0. Twins manager Paul Molitor decided at that time to pull Berrios, who had thrown 98 pitches, from the game.
Berrios, with a 2.18 ERA, will now prepare for the biggest start of his career, when he pitches in front of friends and family in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when the Twins face Cleveland.
