White Sox at Twins
The Minnesota Twins ended their 6-1 road trip with a monstrous power display and kicked off their homestand with another strong surge, belting three home runs to eclipse the century mark for the season. Minnesota hopes to add to its total of 101 on Saturday afternoon as it seeks a fifth straight victory when it hosts the Chicago White Sox.
The Twins belted eight homers in Thursday's 16-7 rout of the Los Angeles Angels and added three more en route to an 11-4 triumph in the opener of their three-game series against Chicago. Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler each fell a triple shy of the cycle as they sandwiched blasts around one by Miguel Sano, whose shot in the third inning was the 100th of the year for Minnesota as it became the second team in major-league history to reach the plateau in its first 50 games. Kepler is riding a seven-game hitting streak during which he has gone 14-for-30 with three homers and 10 RBIs while Rosario is 10-for-20 with two blasts and seven RBIs during his four-game run. Tim Anderson went 3-for-3 and scored a run for the White Sox on Friday, improving to 6-for-11 over his last three contests as the team fell to 2-3 during its seven-game road trip.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH Manny Banuelos (2-3, 7.26 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (4-2, 4.47)
Banuelos will return to the mound after missing a start due to a strained left shoulder. The 28-year-old from Mexico last pitched on May 14, when he surrendered five runs on four hits - three homers - and three walks over four innings before leaving with the injury. Banuelos, who never has faced Minnesota, has made five starts after beginning the season - his second in the majors and first since 2015 with Atlanta - with four relief appearances.
Gibson failed in his second attempt this season to record a third straight victory on Sunday, yielding four runs and nine hits over six innings in a loss at Seattle. The 31-year-old native of Indiana served up a pair of home runs but did not issue a walk, marking the third time in nine turns this year he did not hand out a free pass. Gibson owns a 7-4 record and 2.93 ERA in 14 career starts against the White Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Sano is riding a three-game homer streak during which he has gone deep four times and driven in six runs.
2. Chicago rookie OF Charlie Tilson has hit safely in 14 of his first 18 major-league contests.
3. Minnesota recalled Zack Littell from Triple-A Rochester on Friday and designated fellow RHP Austin Adams for assignment.