AP Photo Nam Y. Huh
BY MATT CARLSON
CHICAGO — Max Kepler and José Miranda hit run-scoring singles to put Minnesota ahead in the seventh, and the Twins rallied late for their 10th straight win, 10-5 over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Miranda added his third hit for another RBI in a four-run ninth that put it away for the Twins, whose winning streak is their longest since June 2008 and the longest in the major leagues this season. Willi Castro added an RBI single to cap a three-hit day that included a double and triple.
“It’s hard not to feel good,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But we really kept competing as the game went on, another one of the games that didn’t come easy.
“It wasn’t the most glorious maybe to watch … but just watching the team, just kind of grind though the middle and later parts of the game with good at-bats, making plays, guys coming in and pitching, throwing strikes.”
Alex Kirilloff hit a solo shot off Chicago starter Chris Flexen. Ryan Jeffers knocked in two runs with a double for Minnesota, which has beaten Chicago in eight straight dating to last season.
The Twins trailed until they tied it a 4 in the sixth inning, scoring two unearned runs with two outs when Castro’s routine grounder ticked off the glove of shortstop Paul DeJong and rolled between his legs for an error.
“The ball was spinning like crazy and (baserunner Trevor) Larnach at second base did a good job of blocking my view,” DeJong said. “The ball just kind of took off sideways on me and I whiffed, and unfortunately it cost us two runs.”
Tommy Pham hit his first homer with the White Sox and added an RBI double. He’s batting .375 with Chicago in six games since joining them last Friday.
Kory Lee also went deep, and Robbie Grossman doubled twice and drove in a run for the White Sox, worst in the majors at 6-25. Chicago has dropped three straight after sweeping a three-game series from Tampa Bay last weekend.
Minnesota’s Bailey Ober (3-1) scuffled to the win, despite allowing four runs on six hits in six innings. Ober said he was still feeling the “low energy” effects of an illness he has since had last week, but his teammates came through with run support.
“You can just tell there’s not a whole lot of pressure being put on ourselves,” Ober said. “I feel that’s the biggest thing, is just leaning on each other and trusting our teammates.”
Flexen allowed two runs on four hits in five innings and left with a 4-2 lead. Dominic Leone (0-1), the second of five Chicago relievers, gave up two runs in the seventh and took the loss.
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton left the game in the second inning with right knee soreness after an unsuccessful attempt to steal second base.
Buxton singled leading off the inning, didn’t slide and was thrown out by Lee. Buxton walked off the field slowly and was replaced in the bottom half by Castro, who moved from third base.
Miranda then entered the game, took over at third and upped his batting average to .375.
“It’s good because you see everyone starting to play,” Miranda said. “Everyone’s having good at-bats, we’re playing great defense. The pitchers are doing their job, so it’s awesome to see.”
An All-Star in 2022, Buxton was limited to 85 games as a designated hitter last season because of a right knee injury. Baldelli had no update on the outfielder after the game.
Before the game, Minnesota selected the contract of right-handed reliever Caleb Boushley from Triple-A St. Paul. Left-hander Kody Funderburk was optioned to the farm club.
The White Sox recalled lefty Jared Shuster from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned RHP Prelander Berroa.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Chris Paddack (2-1, 5.88 ERA) starts Friday against Boston in Minneapolis.
White Sox: RHP Brad Keller (0-0, 0.00) faces Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (3-1, 1.16) at St. Louis on Friday.
*Associated Press
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