White Sox Sweep Doubleheader From Twins
CHICAGO (AP) — Dayan Viciedo hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins and a sweep of their doubleheader on Saturday.
Jose Abreu started the winning rally with a 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.
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.
"When I see Chris Sale throw I'm so excited," Quintana said. "I'm just excited because he's the best in the American League. 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.
"Our guys were saying they were definitely losing the ball, and I'm sure it was the same way for them," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Unfortunately, they came up with some runs and we didn't."
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 and No. 34 on the year. It also left the Cuban slugger with 100 RBIs in his first year in the majors.
Abreu 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.
Carroll left the game after five innings due to a torn fingernail on his pitching hand. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked two.
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.
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.
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.
