Twins extend winning streak to 10 games by sweeping White Sox
CHICAGO – The Twins went undefeated on a road trip that lasted at least six games for the first time in franchise history, and they finished it the same way they started.
Leading by a run in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday against the White Sox, the Twins compiled five hits, including back-to-back doubles from Jose Miranda and Ryan Jeffers, in another offensive barrage to extend their MLB-best winning streak to 10 games with a 10-5 victory.
The Twins, who didn't take their first lead until the seventh inning and saw Byron Buxton exit early because of knee soreness, matched their longest winning streak in the past 18 seasons.
When the Twins started their streak, they were six games below .500 and mired in an offensive rut. Facing two of the worst teams in the American League — the Sox (6-25) and Angels — the offense roared to life.
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With the score tied 4-4 in the seventh and two runners on base after drawing walks against White Sox reliever Dominic Leone, the Twins stuck with lefty-hitting Max Kepler against lefty reliever Tim Hill with three righthanded hitters available on their bench. Kepler rewarded the faith, powering a single through the right side of the infield for an RBI single.
Since returning from a knee injury, Kepler recorded 11 hits and 10 RBI in 28 at-bats. He drove in the go-ahead run in all three games in Chicago.
Miranda followed Kepler's go-ahead hit with an RBI single that bounced off the pitcher's mound and through the middle of the infield.
The Twins had tied the score in the sixth inning without a hit. White Sox reliever Steven Wilson issued three walks, including a pair with two outs. After Leone entered with the bases loaded and started Willi Castro with a 3-0 count, Castro hit a ground ball that bounced between shortstop Paul DeJong's legs for a two-run error.
BOXSCORE: Twins 10, Chicago White Sox 5
Twins starter Bailey Ober, coming off a start that matched the longest of his career, had the Twins in a two-run deficit after only four batters. Robbie Grossman and Tommy Pham opened the first inning with back-to-back doubles. Two batters later, Andrew Vaughn bounced an RBI single through the middle of the infield.
Following Vaughn's single, Ober retired 10 of his next 11 batters. The exception was a cutter he left over the middle of the plate, and Pham drilled it over the left-field fence for a solo homer. It was the fourth homer allowed by Ober this season.
With a tired bullpen after playing for 13 straight days, Ober completed six innings. He yielded four runs, the same number he allowed over his last four starts combined, and he struck out three during an afternoon he didn't garner many swings and misses.
The Twins produced four hits and two runs in five innings against White Sox starter Chris Flexen. Castro led off the third inning with a triple and scored on a groundout.
In the fifth inning, Alex Kirilloff drilled a two-out solo homer to left field. Chicago scored in the bottom half of both innings.
