Twins at White Sox
The Minnesota Twins slugged five home runs to avoid their first run of three straight losses this year and now look to win a series less than 24 hours later when they visit the Chicago White Sox for the rubber match of a three-game set Sunday afternoon. Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz launched two homers apiece and Miguel Sano hit his third of the series Saturday in a 10-3 victory for the American League Central-leading Twins.
Kepler boasts a career-high 21 longballs after improving to 9-for-18 with four blasts and 10 RBIs against Chicago this season while Sano has gone deep four times in four games versus the White Sox in 2019. Australian left-hander Lewis Thorpe will make his major league debut when he takes the mound Sunday for Minnesota against righty Lucas Giolito, who entered Saturday tied for the major league lead with 10 victories. Chicago has lost five of its last seven contests after giving up six runs in the final three innings Saturday, but leadoff batter Leury Garcia hit safely for the 12th time in 13 games and registered multiple hits for the eighth time during that stretch. Rookie outfielder Eloy Jimenez has homered in both games of the series and pushed his total to 14 on the season for the White Sox, who can reach 39 wins before the end of June after not reaching that mark until Aug. 3 last year.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Lewis Thorpe (NR) vs. White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (10-2, 2.87)
With Kyle Gibson’s next start moved back a few days, Thorpe gets his first shot on a major league mound after making 14 starts in the minors. The 23-year-old from Melbourne, who signed as a free agent with Minnesota in 2012, was 3-4 with a 5.71 ERA while striking out 88 and walking just 21 over 69 1/3 innings at Triple-A Rochester in 2019. Thorpe represented the Twins in the 2018 All-Star Futures Game and was 8-7 at Double-A and Triple-A last season.
Giolito has seized the role of ace for the White Sox this season with seven quality starts in his last 10 outings. The 24-year-old California native suffered his only loss in almost 2 1/2 months on June 19 when he gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings - the only time he has yielded more than three in his last 12 trips to the mound. Jorge Polanco is 2-for-5 with a homer against Giolito, who was 2-2 with a 5.54 ERA in five starts versus Minnesota last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Twins activated OF-INF Marwin Gonzalez (hamstring) and CF Byron Buxton (wrist) from the injured list Saturday and went 1-for-9 combined.
2. Chicago OF Jon Jay is 6-for-16 with four RBIs since being activated, after spending almost three months on the IL.
3. Minnesota UTIL Luis Arraez did not start Saturday, but is 16-for-34 during his current 10-game hitting streak.