White Sox Sweep Doubleheader From Twins
CHICAGO (AP) — Jose Abreu showed off his powerful bat again on Saturday night. The rookie slugger also showed off his impressive focus in the ninth.
Abreu drew a walk during a 14-pitch at-bat to set the stage for Dayan Viciedo's winning two-run homer that gave the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins and a sweep of their doubleheader.
Abreu started the winning rally with his leadoff walk against Glen Perkins (3-3). Pinch-runner Jordan Danks was erased when Avisail Garcia grounder into a fielder's choice, but Viciedo drove a full-count pitch over the wall in left for his 21st homer.
"I went into the at-bat thinking to myself that I would do whatever I could to get on base and help tie the game," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I just tried to work as much as I could to get the right pitch."
The White Sox have won four in a row, matching a season high. They last won four straight from May 4-7.
"Great closer, he just keeps wearing him out to where he gets a walk," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Those are the kinds of things you need to do to win games."
Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia homered for Minnesota. Pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki had a tiebreaking RBI double in the top of the ninth against Jake Petricka (1-4).
In the first game, Jose Quintana struck out a career-high 13 and Alexei Ramirez homered to lead the White Sox to a 5-1 victory.
Quintana (8-10) allowed a run and two walks in seven innings. He said teammate Chris Sale's dominance motivates him. Sale threw eight scoreless innings against Oakland on Thursday.
"I'm just excited because he's the best in the American League," Quintana said. "I try to follow him with a good performance every time."
Phil Hughes (15-10) had a career-high 11 strikeouts for Minnesota. He allowed five runs — three earned — in seven innings.
Minnesota got off to a fast start in the second game, scoring four times in the first against Scott Carroll. Arcia had the big blow, a three-run drive to center for his 17th homer.
The White Sox responded with two homers of their own, a three-run shot in the first for Garcia and a solo drive for Abreu in the fifth.
It was Abreu's first homer since Aug. 22 at the New York Yankees. The Cuban slugger joins Hal Trosky (1934), Ted Williams (1939) and Albert Pujols (2001) as the only major league rookies with 30 doubles, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.
"Just the bat speed, everything else, it's there," Ventura said. "Everybody's going through little issues of fatigue. It's a long season, but in the end you know he's the guy you want to put your buck on just because he's the guy."
Carroll left the game after five innings due to a torn fingernail on his pitching hand.
Daniel Webb replaced Carroll and allowed a solo homer to Plouffe in the sixth for a 5-4 Twins lead.
The White Sox tied it again on pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie's two-out RBI single in the seventh.
Minnesota's Logan Darnell allowed four runs - three earned - in 4 1-3 innings in his fourth career start.
The last-place Twins have lost four straight.
"It was a long day, a tough day and probably about as tough a loss as you'll have," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
The doubleheader was scheduled after rain postponed Friday's series opener.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: Darnell pitched in place of LHP Tommy Milone (neck). Milone also missed his last start because of left shoulder fatigue, which he said has improved.
White Sox: Carroll (fingernail) said he's day to day. "They thought it'd be best to call it quits after the fifth and not try to risk further injury," he said.
UP NEXT
Twins RHP Trevor May (2-4, 8.38 ERA) will face White Sox RHP Hector Noesi (8-9, 4.69) in Sunday's series finale.
HEART OF THE ORDER
Abreu, Garcia and Viciedo combined for six hits, three home runs and six RBIs in the second game.
"We are all working toward the same thing," Viciedo said. "When we are going well, it shows that we've put in the work."
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