CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning to help the Minnesota Twins defeat the Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Saturday night.
Taj Bradley (11-6) earned the win for the Twins, despite giving up two home runs in the first inning. He allowed four runs on four hits in five innings, then handed off to four relievers who combined for four scoreless innings. Yoendrys Gómez secured his 21st save. The Twins reduced the White Sox’s lead in the AL Central to six games and are now 3 1/2 games behind the third AL wild card spot.
The White Sox suffered their fifth loss in seven games. Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run home run in the first inning, making the White Sox the first team since 2008 to have three players – Murakami, Colson Montgomery, and Miguel Vargas – with 30 or more home runs. Murakami is the fourth Japanese-born player to reach 30 home runs in a season. Montgomery’s home run in the first inning was a record for White Sox shortstops, his 31st of the season.
White Sox starter Anthony Kay (9-8) allowed only one baserunner through three innings before the Twins scored twice in the fourth. Kody Clemens hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded, and Brooks Lee added an RBI double. Jeffers then hit his 14th home run of the year in the fifth inning off Kay, who allowed five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. Vargas singled in a run in the fifth, and Kaelen Culpepper extended the Twins’ lead with an RBI double in the seventh.
The Twins will close out the series on Sunday with RHP Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.37 ERA) as their starting pitcher. The White Sox have pushed RHP Sean Burke’s scheduled start to Tuesday and have not yet named a replacement.
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