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Twins clobber Royals 13-3 to win crisp debut by fast-rising starting pitcher Zebby Matthews

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Twins clobber Royals 13-3 to win crisp debut by fast-rising starting pitcher Zebby Matthews
Sport

Sport

Twins clobber Royals 13-3 to win crisp debut by fast-rising starting pitcher Zebby Matthews

2024-08-14 11:25 Last Updated At:11:31

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zebby Matthews threw five crisp innings to win his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, who hit Seth Lugo hard to hand the All-Star right-hander his worst start of the season and beat the Kansas City Royals 13-3 on Tuesday night.

Matthews (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts, the latest and most meaningful feat for the 24-year-old right-hander who started the season in Class A. His first strikeout? None other than All-Star Bobby Witt Jr.

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Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer celebrates with Austin Martin, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer celebrates with Austin Martin, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana slides into home plate on a sacrifice fly by Christian Vazquez against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana slides into home plate on a sacrifice fly by Christian Vazquez against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis runs the bases on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis runs the bases on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro, left, celebrates after his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals with Royce Lewis (23) in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro, left, celebrates after his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals with Royce Lewis (23) in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins left fielder Matt Wallner catches a ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey at the fence in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins left fielder Matt Wallner catches a ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey at the fence in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

“The first strikeout definitely helped calm the nerves,” Matthews said.

Matt Wallner (three runs, two hits) and Jose Miranda (three hits, two RBIs) led the barrage against Lugo (13-7), and Max Kepler (three-run) and Kyle Farmer (two-run) hit homers off the bullpen. Christian Vázquez also homered for the Twins, who had eight of their 15 hits for extra bases in a rousing show of support for the rookie.

“You can go out there and you can attack the zone, just throw your best stuff, try to get guys out,” Matthews said. "It definitely helps a lot.”

Minnesota kept pace with AL Central leader Cleveland, still trailing by 3½ games. Kansas City fell six games back. The Twins (67-52) and Royals (65-55) control the second and third wild-card spots.

The first four batters reached against Lugo, the major league wins leader who endured by far the shortest of his 25 starts this year. Already trailing 5-2, he gave up three hits and a walk to start the fifth before being pulled. Lugo had logged at least six innings in all but four of his turns until this.

Lugo was charged with nine hits, a career-high-tying eight runs, two walks with four strikeouts. One run was unearned due to a throwing error on third baseman Maikel Garcia that put Miranda on and gave the Twins a fourth consecutive batter to reach base to start their first inning.

“This is a great lineup we have. Everybody puts in a great at-bat,” Vázquez said.

Wallner started the game with a leaping catch against the left field wall to steal a home run from Michael Massey, and Matthews didn't need much help after that.

The eighth-round 2022 draft pick out of Western Carolina induced a steady stream of routine groundballs and showed off his stellar control, dodging a solo home run by M.J. Melendez in the second and an RBI double by Massey in the fifth. In 102 combined innings over four levels this season, Matthews has just seven walks and 119 strikeouts.

“He’s got pretty good stuff. I think he’s going to be a pretty good pitcher in the big leagues,” said Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who hit his 22nd homer in the sixth.

The Twins just might wind up keeping Matthews in their rookie-laden rotation, with Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack sidelined.

“It’s definitely special, but you don’t quit working just because you made it here,” Matthews said. "There’s a lot of stuff to keep doing, keep improving on, so get back to work.”

The Twins have won 18 of their last 20 games against the Royals at Target Field, a stretch of dominance during which they’ve outscored them 123-56. The Twins are 7-2 against the Royals overall this year.

“They’re good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “They have a deep team. They have guys who can do a lot of different things.”

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins CF Byron Buxton was held out of the lineup with a discomfort in his right hip that prompted his early removal from the game on Monday, but an MRI test came back clean.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Cole Ragans (9-7, 3.27 ERA) will pitch on Wednesday afternoon. The opening day starter is sixth in MLB in strikeouts.

Twins: RHP Louie Varland (0-4, 6.46 ERA) was on track to start the final game of the series. He pitched 4 2/3 innings on Friday in the second half of a doubleheader sweep of Cleveland as the 27th player.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Max Kepler hits an RBI single against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer celebrates with Austin Martin, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Kyle Farmer celebrates with Austin Martin, left, after hitting a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana slides into home plate on a sacrifice fly by Christian Vazquez against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana slides into home plate on a sacrifice fly by Christian Vazquez against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis runs the bases on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis runs the bases on a two-run home run against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro, left, celebrates after his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals with Royce Lewis (23) in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro, left, celebrates after his three-run home run against the Kansas City Royals with Royce Lewis (23) in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins left fielder Matt Wallner catches a ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey at the fence in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins left fielder Matt Wallner catches a ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Michael Massey at the fence in the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Zebby Matthews throws to the Kansas City Royals in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

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Truecaller Finally Works on iPhone

2025-01-22 14:32 Last Updated At:14:50

STOCKHOLM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 22, 2025--

Truecaller, the leading global communications platform, has announced the biggest ever update for iPhone. The new update now offers the entire might of Truecaller’s spam and scam blocking abilities to iPhone users everywhere! It now has the ability to identify all types of calls making it at par with its Android counterpart.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250120259516/en/

This is made possible by Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, developed especially for apps like Truecaller to provide live caller ID in a privacy-preserving way. This API uses state-of-the-art homomorphic encryption and Truecaller is the first in the world to deploy this at scale for Caller ID.

A Powerful Truecaller Experience: Now on iPhone

Truecaller has now been in the business of filtering unwanted communication for 15 years. This update can leverage Truecaller’s latest AI capabilities and global database to identify as many calls as possible. It can ensure that no call goes unidentified on iOS as long as Truecaller has any information about it.

In addition, the latest update includes something that Truecaller iOS users have been requesting for a long time: automatic blocking of spam calls. Other improvements include the ability to search for previously identified calls, going as far back as 2,000 previous numbers in the Recents list in the Phone app.

Finally, Truecaller on iPhone now includes the ability to subscribe for a Premium Family plan. With Family Plan, you can share all Truecaller Premium benefits with up to four additional people at a low monthly or annual price.

How to enable Truecaller on iOS 18.2

Rishit Jhunjhunwala, CEO, Truecaller said, “We are excited to bring the full power of Truecaller to iPhone. We see tremendous potential and growth in our iPhone user base and parity with Truecaller’s Android experience has been top of their wishlist. This update does that and more while preserving privacy for all calling activity.”

All the new features will be made available for Truecaller Premium users. Free users on iOS will continue to enjoy ad-supported number search and caller ID of Verified Businesses.

Auto blocking of spam is available globally & the new Caller ID will be rolled out starting today. It will be available to all users across the world within the coming days. You can watch the product video here.

About Truecaller

Truecaller is an essential part of everyday communication for over 433 million active users, with more than a billion downloads since launch and close to 46 billion unwanted calls identified and blocked in 2023 alone. The company is headquartered in Stockholm since 2009 and has been publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since October 2021.

Visit www.truecaller.com for more information.

Truecaller Finally Works on iPhone (Graphic: Business Wire)

Truecaller Finally Works on iPhone (Graphic: Business Wire)

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