Eloy Jiménez Again Hits 2 Home Runs, White Sox Rout Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eloy Jiménez hit two homers with five RBIs for the second straight game, Tim Anderson led off with a home run for the second day in a row, and the Chicago White Sox cruised past the Minnesota Twins 11-1 Monday night.
Lucas Giolito pitched two-hit ball for eight innings as the White Sox won their fourth in a row. Center fielder Luis Robert came off the 60-day injured list and delivered an RBI double and single for the AL Central leaders.
Jiménez became the first White Sox player with consecutive games of at least two homers and five RBIs, and the first in the majors since Bryce Harper for Washington in 2015.
Jiménez has five homers and 14 RBIs in 10 games since his return from the injured list after missing all of the season with a ruptured pectoral tendon sustained in spring training.
Giolito (9-8) faced the minimum over the first seven innings. The first hit he allowed came on a hard grounder from Luis Arraez to start the fifth inning that glanced off Giolito's leg.
Miguel Sanó homered off Giolito.
Beau Burrows (0-1) allowed seven runs — six earned — over two innings in his first career start. He was claimed off waivers from Detroit on June 22 and was recalled from Triple-A on July 27. His ERA rose to 13.91 in six appearances this season.
Anderson lined the fifth pitch of the game into the left-field seats. He opened Sunday night's game at Wrigley Field with a home run, sending the White Sox toward a three-game sweep over the Cubs.
Jiménez hit a towering homer off the facing of the second deck above the batter's eye in center field estimated at 454 feet for a two-run homer in the first inning. He connected for a three-run drive in the second.
Yoán Moncada homered in the ninth for Chicago.
ANNOUNCER OUT
Before the game, Chicago announced that TV play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti will miss the team's upcoming broadcasts after testing positive for COVID-19. Benetti, who recently worked Olympic baseball broadcasts for NBC, later tweeted that he is "mildly symptomatic" and plans to return soon. Mike Monaco is his replacement.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Robert was out since May 4 with a right hip flexor strain. Gavin Sheets was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte and OF Luis González was released to make room on the 40-man roster for Robert's return.
Twins: RHP Jorge Alcala was placed on the 10-day injured list with triceps tendinitis. Alcala has appeared in 45 games this season with a 5.11 ERA. Edgar García, who was claimed off waivers from Cincinnati on July 30, was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul. García made his Twins debut on Monday with one run and one hit allowed in 2 1/3 innings. … 3B Josh Donaldson was out of the lineup for the third straight game with a right hamstring injury. … CF Byron Buxton, out since June 22 with a left hand fracture, completed a full workout on the field before the game. He ran, shagged flyballs and was expected to hit before the game.
UP NEXT
LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-5, 4.44 ERA) will start for Chicago on Tuesday in the middle game of the series. Minnesota counters with RHP Griffin Jax (2-1, 5.63). Keuchel has made three starts against the Twins this season with 11 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings. Jax has allowed just one run in each of his last three starts, spanning 14 1/3 innings.
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