Alex Kirilloff delivered a game-winning single with two outs, just after Byron Buxton hit a home run in the ninth inning to tie the game. The Chicago White Sox, who have the worst record in MLB, dropped to 3-20 with a 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Chicago’s start mirrors those of other struggling teams in history. They join the ranks of Cincinnati in 2022, Detroit in 2003, the St. Louis Browns in 1936, and the Cleveland Spiders in 1899, all of which began their seasons 3-20. The 1988 Baltimore Orioles hold the record for the worst start at 1-22.
“We’ve got to win games, man,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Bottom line.”
Trevor Larnach’s two-run homer in the eighth inning brought the Twins within 5-4, setting the stage for Buxton and Kirilloff’s heroics against Steven Wilson (1-2). Buxton’s home run hit the left-field foul pole, and Kirilloff’s single drove in pinch-runner Austin Martin for the winning run.
The Twins have won three of their last four games after a five-game losing streak. “We’ve been putting in the work to snatch games like that,” Buxton said. “Those will be the wins that get us back on track and get us going.”
Kirilloff, who struck out four times earlier in the game, came through with his second career walk-off hit. Jay Jackson (1-1) pitched two innings in relief for the Twins, allowing one run and striking out four.
Eloy Jiménez’s three-run homer and Erick Fedde’s career-high 11 strikeouts provided highlights for the White Sox. Fedde, who signed with Chicago during the offseason after pitching in South Korea in 2023, allowed only one run on three hits in his best performance yet.
After a shaky start, Fedde retired 13 straight batters. “If you want to be successful,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said, “you’ve got to find ways to win games that are really not going your way and they’re stressing you in a tough fashion.”
Andrew Benintendi’s two-run single in the eighth inning put Chicago ahead 5-2.
