White Sox finally beat AL-Central rival Twins, but end up splitting doubleheader
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Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa hit consecutive homers and Ryan Jeffers added the go-ahead RBI as the Minnesota Twins split a doubleheader with Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Jeffers brought home Byron Buxton in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and give the Twins the lead for good. They’ve won nine of 10 against their AL Central rivals this season.
Martín Maldonado homered for Chicago, which won the opener 3-1 to end a three-game skid.
The Twins erased a two-run deficit in the sixth inning when Lee homered off his former Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo teammate Drew Thorpe five pitches before All-Star Correa extended his hitting streak to a dozen games with a home run into the right-field seats.
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“I’ve faced him so many times now, but it’s still not a comfortable at-bat,” Lee said of going against his former roommate. “Hopefully one day we’re on the same team.”
The Twins have homered in a club-record 28 straight games — the longest streak in the majors this season.
“We have a lot of great hitters who get it done on a daily basis,” Correa said. “I feel like it’s a different guy every day hitting a home run.
“We didn’t get the job done in the first game and (the back-to-back homers) was the spark we needed.”
The 2019 New York Yankees homered in a record 31 straight games.
Jeffers singled off Michael Soroka (0-10) an inning later to bring home Byron Buxton. Steven Okert (3-0), the first of four Twins relievers, got the win. Jhoan Duran picked up his 14th save after working the ninth.
Thorpe worked the first six innings for Chicago, allowing three hits with a walk, strikeout and both Minnesota home runs.
Pablo López gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five in the first five for the Twins, who’ve won 11 of 15.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a two-run homer and Michael Kopech tossed Chicago’s first immaculate inning in more than a century in the opener.
Erick Fedde (7-3) delivered five scoreless innings and the bullpen hung on to end a string of nine straight losses to the Twins that began last season.
Matt Wallner homered for Minnesota, which saw a three-game winning streak end.
Bailey Ober (8-5) faced the minimum through four innings — his lone walk was wiped out by a double play — but Gavin Sheets led off the fifth with a double and later came home on a Paul DeJong sacrifice fly. Andrew Vaughn doubled in the sixth and scored four pitches later when Robert sent his 11th home run into the center-field bleachers.
“That was kind of right into his bat path,” Ober said of Robert’s big hit. “That was the biggest mistake I had.”
Wallner connected off Jordan Leasure in the seventh to end Chicago’s shutout bid.
Kopech, the last of four White Sox relievers, threw a nine-pitch, three-strikeout ninth for his ninth save. It was the first such performance in the majors this season and first for Chicago since Sloppy Thurston was flawless in August 1923.
“I didn’t expect it to be in that manner, but it was pretty fun,” said Kopech.
Ober, who’d won three of his last four starts, surrendered four hits and walked one while striking out five in the first six innings.
Fedde allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two in five scoreless innings.
The teams played two after Tuesday night’s matchup was postponed due to persistent rain.
Trainer’s room
Twins: RHP Brock Stewart (shoulder tendinitis) threw an inning Tuesday night in his first rehab start with Triple-A St. Paul. He’s been on the 60-day injured list since May 2. ... Added RHP David Festa as the doubleheader’s 27th man.
White Sox: Tabbed LHP Jake Eder as their 27th man.
Up next
Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (6-5, 3.29 ERA) will start Friday night’s series opener at San Francisco. The Giants have not yet named a starter.
White Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet (6-6, 3.08) takes the mound Friday night to start a weekend series against visiting Pittsburgh.