Twins Cruise To 13-2 Victory Over White Sox
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kennys Vargas went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs, rookie Byron Buxton had three hits while batting leadoff for the first time, and the Minnesota Twins trounced the Chicago White Sox, 13-2, on Monday night.
Joe Mauer homered to start a five-run fourth against starter John Danks (3-8), and Eduardo Nunez punctuated the inning with a two-out, two-run shot. The rally was fueled by a throwing error on shortstop Alexei Ramirez, whose attempt to start a double play sailed into right field.
Brian Dozier added a two-run homer in the eighth for the Twins, who are 8-3 against the White Sox this season while outscoring them 70-28.
Buxton moved from ninth to first in the order in his ninth major league game and gave the Twins an obvious spark. He doubled in his first at-bat with a headfirst slide into second base and scored on a single by Dozier.
Then, during a five-run sixth inning, the lanky speedster and super prospect beat out a routine grounder to Ramirez for a hit and came home later on a two-run double by Torii Hunter that stretched the lead to 11-2.
Buxton also gave starter Tommy Milone (4-1) a lift by ending the third inning with a strong throw home from center field that went straight to catcher Kurt Suzuki's glove to keep Melky Cabrera from scoring on a single.
Milone hasn't lost in four starts this month, allowing a total of seven earned runs. He gave up a two-run single to Adam LaRoche in the third and 10 hits in all, but the big lead let him settle in without any trouble.
Danks lost his fourth straight start. His ERA in June is 6.85.
In his career against the Twins, the left-hander is 3-9 with a 6.82 ERA in 16 starts.
It was an awful way for the White Sox to start a nine-game road trip.
They rallied from an eight-game losing streak to win the last two games of their weekend series against the Texas Rangers, but fell to 2-11 on the road against AL Central foes. They've been outscored 58-19 in the first inning this year, both totals the worst in the majors.
DARRYL HAMILTON'S DEATH
Both managers in the game, Chicago's Robin Ventura and Minnesota's Paul Molitor, were teammates of outfielder Darryl Hamilton, who was murdered Sunday in suburban Houston, authorities said.
The 50-year-old Hamilton played with Molitor for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1988-92 and with Ventura for the New York Mets from 1999-2001.
Molitor described the shock of hearing the news and said Hamilton's death was "the overriding thing" on his mind Monday.
Said Ventura: "I'm still sick to my stomach. He's a great person. I loved Darryl Hamilton. I loved playing with him. It's just sad. You can't really put into words how you feel just because he's such a great guy."
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: The injury-thinned bullpen is close to being back to full strength. LHP Dan Jennings, on the disabled list for the last two weeks because of inflammation in his neck, was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Charlotte. RHP Matt Albers, who broke the pinkie on his pitching hand during a fight with the Kansas City Royals on April 23, will throw a simulated game Tuesday.
Twins: Hunter was hit in the chest by Cabrera's throw from left field as he retreated to third base on a shallow fly. Hunter was grimacing after writhing around on the grass in pain for a few seconds, but he was all right.
UP NEXT
Jeff Samardzija (4-4, 4.67 ERA) will start for the White Sox on Tuesday, his third appearance against the Twins this season. Mike Pelfrey (5-3, 2.97) takes the mound for Minnesota, also for the third time this year against the White Sox.
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