Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis and Kyle Farmer homered to back seven strong innings from Kenta Maeda as the Minnesota Twins topped the host Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Thursday.
The American League Central-leading Twins lowered their magic number to clinch the division to eight.
Minnesota (77-70) out-hit Chicago 10-6 while winning for just the second time in five games. The White Sox (56-91) have lost three straight and 10 of 13.
Maeda (5-7) allowed just two runs on four hits, one for extra bases, and one walk while striking out eight. He threw 69 of his 105 pitches for strikes.
Josh Winder and Brent Headrick closed out the victory with one scoreless inning apiece.
Andrew Vaughn connected for a two-run home run against Maeda in the seventh to pull Chicago within 6-2. It was Vaughn’s 20th homer of the season, extending his career high.
A four-run, seventh-inning rally against White Sox starter Jose Urena proved to be the difference for the Twins, expanding the lead to 6-0. Minnesota tacked on four more against the Chicago bullpen in the ninth.
Urena, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte last week, saw a 2-0 deficit swell to 6-0 in the span of two hitters. Matt Wallner grounded a two-run single to right with one out in the seventh, and he scored on Farmer’s two-run blast two pitches later.
Urena (0-6) retired the first nine batters he faced before proving susceptible to the long ball in the fourth. Julien led off the inning with a solo shot to right-center field before Lewis blasted a solo homer to left following successive Urena strikeouts.
Urena allowed six runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Minnesota clinched the season series with Chicago by winning for the seventh time in 10 meetings. The Twins have won five in a row against the White Sox.
Alex Kirilloff and Wallner each had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins.
Eloy Jimenez doubled for the White Sox.
–Field Level Media
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