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Scoring runs early is no guarantee of success, as the Minnesota Twins have proven recently this season. But on Tuesday, for the second game in a row, a crooked number on the first inning scoreboard proved to be enough. The Twins got a first-inning, two-run home run from Josh Bell to supply all the offense they would eventually need on the way to beating the Atlanta Braves 4-1 at Target Field to take the first two games of their three-game series. Right-hander Zebby Matthews (7-8) allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings to get the win. Closer Yoendrys Gómez allowed a leadoff double to Michael Harris II in the ninth, then retired the next three Braves in order for the save. “He’s been lights out. It helps all of our starters to give them run support early, let them kind of roll and not worry about making one mistake,” said Bell in praise of Matthews, who has won three consecutive starts since a stint with Class AAA St. Paul earlier in the month. “But yeah, he’s been lights out for us ever since he got called up. He works his tail off, so it’s definitely fun to watch and fun to play with.” Minnesota had beaten Atlanta 4-2 in the series opener on Monday, buoyed by a quartet of first-inning runs. After Matthews retired the first three Braves in order and former Twins starter Tyler Mahle set down the first two Twins batters, the Minnesota bats found a two-out groove. Ryan Jeffers doubled off the wall in right-center field, and Josh Bell hit a 1-1 splitter to the same general area — just 30 feet higher — for a 2-0 lead early. It was Bell’s 17th homer of the season. Allowing just two hits in the first five innings, the Braves finally got to Matthews on his 70th pitch of the game, when Drake Baldwin led off the sixth with a homer to left-center, cutting the Minnesota lead in half. After two hard-hit balls for fly outs to right, Harris singled to right to put the tying run on base, prompting a mound visit and some activity in the Twins’ bullpen. When Ozzie Albies singled to center, allowing Harris to reach third, Twins manager Derek Shelton lifted Matthews in favor of reliever Kody Funderburk. The lefty struck out pinch hitter Lane Thomas on four pitches to end the threat. “He’s throwing the ball really well. There’s a lot of things he’s doing well. A lot of adversity this year for Fundy,” Shelton said. “Started the year with the club, didn’t throw the ball well. Went down. And I think with a lot of guys we’ve talked about, that we sent down, it’s a situation where they went down there and worked on things and come back. He’s been an integral part of what we’ve been able to do over the last month and a half.” For Atlanta, Mahle (4-10) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing six hits. With two outs and Brooks Lee on first in the seventh, lefty Dylan Dodd came on in relief and coaxed an Alan Roden strikeout. Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter entered the game to face the top of the Braves lineup in the eighth and set them down in order via two groundouts and a fly ball to center. With Atlanta reliever Didier Fuentes on in the eighth and Kaelen Culpepper on first, pinch hitter Byron Buxton singled, then Jeffers hit a double off the wall in right-center, scoring Culpepper and Buxton to give the Minnesota bullpen a welcome cushion. “Our bullpen has been unbelievable,” Matthews said. “You can feel really good about when your day’s done, you have to leave, they’re going to hold it. Can’t say enough good things about them; they’ve been awesome.” The series concludes on Wednesday afternoon with Minnesota righty Taj Bradley and Atlanta righty AJ Smith-Shawver taking the mound for a 12:40 p.m. start at Target Field.