White Sox win third straight, claim first series
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Gregory Santos reacts after pitching out of a jam by striking out Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Larnach with the bases loaded for the third out in the seventh inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, in Chicago. (AP)
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It took 10 series but the White Sox finally got one.
A series win.
In defeating the AL Central leading Twins 6-4 Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox (10-21) built their season-high winning streak to three games. Following a 10-game losing streak with their first measure of extended success, they’ll go for a series sweep against the Twins (17-14) Thursday afternoon.
Eloy Jimenez broke a 4-all tie with an RBI single in the seventh, and pinch runner Billy Hamilton scored from second on Hanser Alberto’s ground out to the middle of the infield for an insurance run in the eighth.
“He’s electric,” manager Pedro Grifol said of Hamilton, recalled from Triple-A Charlotte Monday.
Keynan Middleton pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th career save and his first with the Sox. Middleton walked one, but struck out the side.
“He loves to be on the mound in leverage situations,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
After Luis Robert’s three-run homer against Louie Varland in the first gave Dylan Cease a nice cushion, it disappeared in the third when the Twins’ Carlos Correa doubled in two runs and was doubled home by Byron Buxton.
Nick Gordon gave the Twins a 4-3 lead in the fourth with his second homer in two games, and the Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning on Tim Anderson’s single scoring Gavin Sheets. Yasmani Grandal was also sent home on Anderson’s hit but was out standing up on a bad send by third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez. Anderson had three hits and walked once.
After right-hander Gregory Santos escaped a bases-loaded, no out jam in the seventh by getting two forceouts at home and striking out Trevor Larnach, Jimenez singled home Andrew Benintendi to give the Sox a 5-4 lead.
Cease (4.58 ERA) lasted just five innings, throwing 98 pitches allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out six.
“It wasn’t good but it was good enough,” Cease said. “I didn’t have a great feel and didn’t have a good rhythm. Too much inconsistency.”
Middleton: Correa a cheater
Middleton, who had numerous AL West battles against the Astros during his seasons with the Angels in 2017-18, struck out former Astro Correa to end the game.
“I knew I was going to face Correa and I don’t like him. I enjoyed that,” Middleton said.
You don’t like him?
“Not even a little bit. I mean, he’s a cheater.”
Burger leaves game with side discomfort
Third baseman Jake Burger left the game with left side discomfort after striking out looking in the fourth inning. Burger felt something checking his swing. He is being further evaluated, the team said, and could be dealing with an oblique issue.
“Weird pitch, weird swing,” Burger said.
Burger, who has filled in at third base for injured Yoan Moncada, is batting .224 with a team-high seven home runs.
Moncada won’t be rushed back
Burger’s issue heightens the Moncada watch. The third baseman’s work is intensifying and is closer to going on a rehab assignment after being on the injured list since April 14.
Slowed by a protruding disc in his low back, the switch-hitter still feels slight discomfort swinging right-handed.
“He’s doing pretty good, I mean really good,” Grifol said.
“The one thing I don’t want to do here is rush this thing just to get him here.”