It took 10 series but the White Sox finally got one.
A series win.
In defeating the AL Central leading Twins 6-4 Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox (10-21) built their season-high winning streak to three games. Following a 10-game losing streak with their first measure of extended success, they’ll go for a series sweep against the Twins (17-14) Thursday afternoon.
Eloy Jimenez broke a 4-all tie with an RBI single in the seventh, and pinch runner Billy Hamilton scored from second on Hanser Alberto’s ground out to the middle of the infield for an insurance run in the eighth.
Keynan Middleton pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th career save and his first with the Sox. Middleton walked one, but struck out the side.
After Luis Robert’s three-run homer against Louie Varland in the first gave Dylan Cease a nice cushion, it disappeared in the third when the Twins’ Carlos Correa doubled in two runs and was doubled home by Byron Buxton.
Nick Gordon gave the Twins a 4-3 lead in the fourth with his second homer in two games, and the Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning on Tim Anderson’s single scoring Gavin Sheets. Yasmani Grandal was also sent home on Anderson’s hit but was out standing up on a bad send by third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez. Anderson had three hits and walked once.
After right-hander Gregory Santos escaped a bases-loaded, no out jam in the seventh by getting two forceouts at home and striking out Trevor Larnach, Jimenez singled home Andrew Benintendi to give the Sox a 5-4 lead. Benintendi reached on a bunt single after Anderson led off the inning but was picked off first by right-hander Griffin Jax.
Cease (4.58 ERA) lasted just five innings, throwing 98 pitches allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out six.
Burger leaves game with side discomfort
Third baseman Jake Burger left Wednesday’s game with left side discomfort after striking out looking in the fourth inning. Burger appeared to wince after swinging the bat. He is being further evaluated, the team said.
Burger, who has filled in at third base for injured Yoan Moncada, is batting .224 with a team-high seven home runs.
Moncada won’t be rushed back
Burger’s issue heightens the Moncada watch. The third baseman’s work is intensifying — he got the uniform dirty running around the bases before Wednesday’s game — and is closer to going on a rehab assignment after being on the injured list since April 14.
Slowed by a protruding disc in his low back, the switch-hitter still feels slight discomfort swinging right-handed.
“He’s doing pretty good, I mean really good,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “I’m assuming he felt really good just because I saw him [Tuesday] and he did everything at high speed.”
Trainer James Kruk, general manager Rick Hahn and Grifol said when Moncada goes on a rehab stint and for how long is to be determined.
“The one thing I don’t want to do here is rush this thing just to get him here,” Grifol said. “I want to make sure that when he gets here he can stay here without having any setbacks.”