Latos Strong As White Sox Sending Spiraling Twins To 0-9 Start
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins dropped to 0-9 for the worst start by any major league team in 13 years, falling to Mat Latos, Avisail Garcia and the Chicago White Sox, 3-1, on Thursday.
The Twins have scored only 14 runs this season. According to STATS research, the last big league team to lose its first nine games was Detroit in 2003, when the Tigers finished 43-119.
The Atlanta Braves, also 0-8 this year, played later in the day at Washington.
The White Sox (7-2) won their fourth in a row, extending their best start since an 8-1 run in 1981. They're 6-1 on the road and recorded their first sweep at Minnesota since 2012.
Latos (2-0) gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
Latos has started strong with his new team, allowing just four hits, two walks and one run over 12 innings and two turns. The right-hander signed a one-year, $3 million contract the week before spring training began.
Ervin Santana (0-1) allowed three runs in seven innings.
Garcia caused the biggest problem for Santana. The burly designated hitter drove a two-out fastball into the open grass behind the center field wall a solo home run in the fourth.
Garcia hit a double about as hard leading off the seventh inning and came around on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly.
Joe Mauer, one of only two Twins regulars who took a batting average better than .185 into the game, tripled to begin the fourth and scored on a groundout by Trevor Plouffe to snap a 17-inning shutout streak for the Twins.
With reliever Matt Albers on the mound in the seventh, the Twins had runners at second and third with two outs after the right-hander's pickoff throw to second base sailed into center field for an error. Brian Dozier grounded out weakly back to the mound, dropping the Twins to 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and 5 for 66 for the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Dioner Navarro was behind the plate for the fourth time this season, two with Latos on the mound. Manager Robin Ventura was hesitant to declare Navarro the personal catcher for Latos, who has shared the position with Alex Avila, but indicated the possibility of such an arrangement.
Twins: CF Byron Buxton bruised his left hand when he was hit by a pitch from Latos in the third. Buxton stayed in the game and stole a base before being replaced by Max Kepler in the bottom of the inning. Buxton's X-rays showed no broken bones. He's considered day to day.
UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will start the three-game series opener Friday at Tampa Bay. He has thrown exactly seven innings five straight times, dating to Sept. 18, 2015. The Rays will counter with RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 3.86 ERA).
Twins: LHP Tommy Milone (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound Friday, when the Los Angeles Angels arrive for three games. RHP Garrett Richards (0-2, 3.86 ERA) will start for the visiting team.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
