Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back solo homers in the sixth inning, and Ryan Jeffers drove in the go-head run in the seventh as the Minnesota Twins edged the host Chicago White Sox 3-2 to split a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Chicago took the first game 3-1 as the teams made up a rainout on Tuesday.
Four Minnesota relievers each pitched a shutout inning after Pablo Lopez surrendered two runs over five innings on four hits, including a solo home run by Martin Maldonado. Lopez walked one and struck out five.
Steven Okert (3-0), Jorge Alcala, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran combined to give up no hits and just one walk, with four strikeouts. Duran picked up his 14th save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including two strikeouts.
In his sixth career start, White Sox right-hander Drew Thorpe went six innings, giving up three hits, but two were the consecutive homers that tied the game at 2-2. He walked one and fanned one.
Lee’s homer was his second of the season, and Correa clubbed his 13th.
In the seventh, the Twins’ Byron Buxton greeted reliever Michael Soroka with a double, and after a flyout, Jeffers singled to left to drive in the go-ahead run.
Chad Kuhl pitched the last two innings for the White Sox. He escaped a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the eighth to keep the game close.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double. The White Sox added to the lead on Maldonado’s fourth bomb of the season to lead off the third.
The Twins finished with five hits to four for the White Sox. Five of the combined nine hits went for extra bases.
Minnesota won for the fourth time in its last five games, while Chicago has dropped four of five.
–Field Level Media
