Simeon Woods Richardson strikes out 11 in six innings as Twins two-hit Yankees

Simeon Woods Richardson still calls suburban Houston his home. But Target Field sure looks like a pretty good runner-up.

The Twins righthander, who has given up more than three runs at home only once all season, was at his best Monday night, holding the game’s highest-scoring team to zero runs over six innings and the sport’s most frequent home run hitters without a long ball for the second time in 22 games.

Most impressively, Woods Richardson struck out a career-high 11 in helping the Twins walk away with a 7-0 victory at Target Field, a two-hitter that was their first shutout against the Yankees since 2008.

“Like D-Wade always said, this is our house. You’re coming into our house,” Woods Richardson said, invoking Miami Heat Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. “I’ve always said there’s a confidence pitching here because it’s your house, you know? You’re protecting your home.”

It was the Twins’ second victory over New York in their past 12 meetings, and Woods Richardson’s career-high seventh victory of the season, five of them coming in downtown Minneapolis, where his ERA stands at 3.05 in 11 starts. That’s nearly three runs better than the Texan’s 5.89 mark on the road.

“He was great early on, but it almost looked like he got even more focused as the game went on. That’s not always an easy thing to do,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “It’s a really good lineup. You’ve got to make nothing but good pitches, good decisions and really be at your best. He was at his best tonight and it was great to watch.”

Especially since the game remained close during his six innings. Austin Martin beat out a double-play ball in the fourth inning to score Jhonny Pereda, and Brooks Lee socked a solo home run to lead off the fifth — but those were the only two runs of support the Twins could provide against Yankees All-Star lefthander Carlos Rodón.

Also to those in the dugout.

“It makes a statement in our clubhouse,” said Baldelli, whose 523rd victory with the Twins moved him past Sam Mele as the third-winningest manager in the team’s history, behind only Tom Kelly (1,140) and Ron Gardenhire (1,068). “Seeing the entire team step up, play aggressively, fight really good, pull away — there were really positive things going on. That’s going to bring a smile to my face.”

Back-to-back doubles by pinch hitter Trevor Larnach and Lee started the inning off right for the Twins, and one-out walks to Edouard Julien and Byron Buxton loaded the bases. Martin followed with a double into the left-field corner, scoring all three.

“I fell behind early and the only thing I was trying to do was just put the ball in play. That was literally all I was focused on,” Martin said after his first career four-RBI day.

Said Baldelli: “This is what he’s been doing — seizing opportunities. He’s seizing one. The at-bats have been excellent. Just rifling balls all over the place. I mean, he breaks the game open right there.”

But the night belonged to Woods Richardson, making his first career start against the Yankees. He gave up only two hits over six innings, and never allowed a runner to reach third base.

And in the fourth inning, he needed only 11 pitches to strike out the side, getting Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Paul Goldschmidt. Woods Richardson ended the third inning by whiffing Cody Bellinger, too, and opened the fifth with a strikeout of Ryan McMahon, giving him five consecutive K’s.

“I was just trying to throw strikes. I just said, ‘Another one, another one, throw another strike, throw another strike,’ “ Woods Richardson said. “They’re in playoff contention [and] we’re the road block. You’ve still got to go through us.”

He finished his night by fooling Bellinger with a splitter and blowing a fastball past Stanton for strikeout No. 11 — seven was his previous career high — and pumped his fist as he walked toward the dugout. Woods Richardson got 16 swing-and-misses in his six-inning mastery.

Kody Funderburk, Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl pitched an inning apiece to finish off the shutout, just as Joe Nathan did in the ninth inning at the Metrodome on Aug. 11, 2008, preserving Glen Perkins’ eight innings of shutout ball, years before Perkins replaced Nathan as an All-Star closer.

MLB standings

After walking Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge with two out in the eighth, Adams got some extra help from Martin, caught Bellinger’s inning-ending foul ball while falling into the left-field stands. The Yankees challenged the call, arguing that a fan in a Yankees hat had touched the ball before it reached Martin’s glove. Replays showed that was true — but the interference was in the field of play, so the out stood.

Martin’s reaction?

“I just needed to catch my breath. That wall is concrete,” he said. “I had to catch my breath.”