Max Kepler came through with a clutch RBI single in the ninth inning, lifting the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night, extending their winning streak to eight games.
Byron Buxton kickstarted the ninth with a double against John Brebbia. Then, Max Kepler, who came in as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, delivered a sharp single to right field, bringing Buxton home.
“It’s important to win close games,” said Buxton. “Sometimes you win big, but being able to fight like we did today against tough pitching and string together some good at-bats to secure the win is significant.”
In the final inning, Caleb Thielbar dodged a tense situation, managing to strike out Korey Lee with runners on first and third to seal the victory, despite walking Tommy Pham and allowing a two-out single to Robbie Grossman.
Joe Ryan pitched impressively for the Twins, lasting six innings. Following his recent win against the White Sox, he conceded two runs and six hits.
“Joe gave us a strong outing,” commented Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
“Some days, pitchers are on fire, striking out batters left and right. But on days like today, a six-inning start is a great achievement, especially when you’re battling early on.”
Brock Stewart handled the seventh inning, Griffin Jax avoided trouble in the eighth by striking out Eloy Jiménez with runners on first and second, and Thielbar closed out the game to secure his second save.
Carlos Santana smashed a two-run homer in the second inning to level the score, leading Minnesota to its 12th win in 13 games against Chicago. This winning streak equals the Twins’ longest since they also won eight straight in June 2011.
“In baseball, you just have to keep pushing,” Kepler remarked. “The season started slowly for us offensively, but we keep battling and supporting each other.”
Andrew Vaughn contributed with an RBI double and scored a run in the first inning, helping the White Sox to a 2-0 lead. However, they couldn’t maintain their momentum after winning three consecutive games.
Garrett Crochet pitched five innings for the White Sox, surrendering two runs and five hits. Despite losing his previous three starts, the left-hander struck out seven batters and walked just one.
