After Minnesota rallied in the opener with four eighth-inning runs for a 4-2 win, Chicago simply built a lead the Twins couldn't erase. Abreu gave Minnesota rookie Zack Littell a rough initiation into the majors with a 413-foot blast over the wall in left-center that brought Yolmer Sanchez home.
Catcher Kevan Smith, playing his first big league game of the year, made it 3-0 with an RBI single to right. Adam Engel followed by ripping a double to left that chased Smith home, giving Giolito all the support he needed.
Giolito (4-6) didn't look like a pitcher who entered the game with a 7.53 ERA, aside from the Twins' two-run rally in the third. Gregorio Petit and Robbie Grossman walked to begin the frame before Eddie Rosario singled to load the bases. Giolito did a good job of damage control, getting a double play ball from Miguel Sano that led to one run before Eduardo Escobar doubled to left-center to drive in the other.
Sanchez restored a four-run lead in the fourth when he drilled a two-run double to center that scored Trayce Thompson and Yoan Moncada. Giolito kept the margin at 6-2, leaving after permitting six hits and two runs in his outing with two walks and a strikeout.
Minnesota tried to exploit the White Sox's shaky bullpen in the eighth. Escobar laced his MLB-high 23rd double of the year to left that cut the lead to 6-3. But Chicago's fourth reliever of the inning, Joakim Soria, whiffed Mitch Garver on three pitches with men at second and third to end the threat.
Soria then worked a scoreless ninth inning to earn his fifth save of the season.
Littell pitched three-plus innings, allowing six hits and six runs while walking four and fanning one. Littell threw 86 pitches, 47 for strikes.
--Field Level Media
Chi. White Sox | Minnesota | |
Lucas Giolito | Player | Zack Littell |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 3.0 |
1 | Strikeouts | 1 |
6 | Hits | 6 |
3.00 | ERA | 18.00 |
Chi. White Sox | Minnesota | |
Yolmer Sanchez | Player | Eduardo Escobar |
2 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 5 |
.500 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. White Sox | 9 | 1 | 16 | .257 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Minnesota | 10 | 0 | 13 | .294 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |