White Sox at Twins
The Minnesota Twins ended their successful road trip with a franchise record-tying power display and hope to continue flexing their muscles when they begin a three-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Minnesota posted a 16-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, belting eight home runs en route to finishing 6-1 on its trek.
Miguel Sano and Jonathan Schoop both went deep twice as the Twins matched the franchise mark for blasts in a game that was set on Aug. 29, 1963 and equaled on April 20 in Baltimore. C.J. Cron went 5-for-6 with a solo shot as Minnesota recorded its eighth win in nine games and took the major-league lead in homers, increasing its season total to 98 - the most by a team in its first 49 contests in league history. The Twins registered 17 hits on Thursday, but Marwin Gonzalez was 0-for-6, ending his hitting streak at 11 games. Chicago lost the first two contests of its four-game series in Houston but battled back to earn a split as Lucas Giolito tossed his second straight complete game - a four-hit shutout in which he recorded nine strikeouts - and Eloy Jimenez belted his third solo homer in two days en route to a 4-0 triumph on Thursday.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (3-4, 5.14 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jose Berrios (6-2, 3.39)
Lopez is coming off back-to-back starts in which he allowed just one earned run, including a no-decision against Toronto on Sunday in which he yielded four hits over six innings but recorded just one strikeout. The 25-year-old Dominican has won two of his last three decisions, permitting three runs - one earned - and four hits with five walks and 20 strikeouts in 13 2/3 frames. Lopez is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in four career starts against Minnesota.
Berrios was on his way toward his sixth win in seven starts on Saturday at Seattle as he was spotted a 15-0 lead, but he yielded four runs in the fifth inning and exited with two outs after having thrown 105 pitches. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican has not issued a walk in four of his last five turns but has surrendered nine runs and 20 hits over 10 1/3 frames in his last two outings. Berrios has had his way with Chicago during his career, going 7-1 with one complete game and a 2.12 ERA in nine starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cron has registered five multi-hit performances in his last 14 games, including a trio of four-hit efforts and one with three.
2. Chicago rookie OF Charles Tilson has hit safely in 13 of his first 17 major-league contests.
3. Minnesota has completed six series sweeps this season after recording a total of eight in 2018.