(New York) The Minnesota Twins knew they had a diamond in the rough in Édouard Julien, who could become one of their key players for the future. But they would never have dreamed of such a performance in his second career game in the Major Leagues.
Julien was the opening batter of the Twins’ role against the New York Yankees on Thursday night. In front of twenty relatives and friends who had come to Yankee Stadium for the occasion, he achieved not one feat, but two in the first round.
The 23-year-old Quebecer first had his first hit in the Major Leagues – a single to the right – before continuing with his first long ball, as part of a nine-point drive by the Twins in first round.
“I couldn’t make better use of it than giving the balls to my dad. My father who always helped me, who always believed in me, who pushed me to become a better athlete, but above all, a better person.
“I never thought I would hit my first hit and my first home run in the same inning! It’s already rare that you go to bat twice in an inning and, when you do, often it’s against the same pitcher. I faced two different pitchers. Seriously, I couldn’t have invented a better scenario, ”added Julien, at first happy to see his relatives encouraging him from the stands of Yankee Stadium.
The formation of Minnesota thus easily took the measure of the Yankees 11-2.
Michael A. Taylor, Julien, and Carlos Correa took turns at the plate and all achieved the same result: the ball fell over the outfield fence.
Taylor had two four-goal slaps and drove in four runs as he hit ninth in the Twins roster.
It was the most productive inning in Twins history against the Yankees.
Joe Ryan (3-0) got 10 batters through the air and didn’t concede a single walk. He also allowed just one run on three hits in seven innings on the mound. Ryan hit the 10 strikeout mark for the second time, having accomplished the feat just once in his first 33 starts.
Jhonny Brito (2-1), who had enjoyed victory in his first two major league starts, allowed seven runs and six hits in two-thirds of an inning. His earned run average climbed to 6.75.
Anthony Rizzo responded with two solo home runs for the Yankees.
Inserted in eighth place the day before, Julien collected a walk in three appearances in a 3-1 victory for the Twins at the expense of the Chicago White Sox.
Julien is the Twins’ fourth prospect according to MLB.com and Baseball America magazine and the 96th in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Baseball America ranks him first among Twins prospects in batting discipline and his management of the strike zone.
The baseball player, who turns 24 on April 30, was drafted in the 18th round, 539th overall, by the Twins in 2019.
The Twins will face the Yankees again on Friday in New York.
