Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Alexei Ramirez hit a go-ahead single in a
four-run eighth inning and the Chicago White Sox held on for a 10-8 victory
over the Minnesota Twins in a back-and-forth opener of a three-game set on
Friday.
Jose Abreu finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI and a walk, while
Tyler Flowers and Ramirez both had two RBI for the White Sox, who have won six
of their last eight games.
"Anything you throw up there, I think he's going to hit it hard," White Sox
manager Robin Ventura said about Abreu. "He's as hot as anyone in the league."
Javy Guerra (1-2) recorded the final two outs of the eighth to earn the win.
White Sox starter Chris Sale gave up five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits
and a walk with seven strikeouts in six innings.
Kurt Suzuki drove in three runs, Kennys Vargas hit a two-run double and Chris
Parmelee homered for Minnesota, which dropped its third straight game.
"You score eight runs with (Sale) starting the ball game, I bet Las Vegas
would take those odds," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. "It seemed like
every inning they scored. That's not going to win you too many games."
Casey Fien (5-5) was charged with four runs in the eighth inning while getting
just one out. Twins starter Logan Darnell allowed four runs on five hits and
four walks in four innings of work.
In the eighth, Adam Eaton and Abreu both singled off Fien around a Gordon
Beckham strikeout to place men on first and third. Consecutive RBI singles
from Paul Konerko and Ramirez gave the White Sox the lead.
Caleb Thielbar entered to get Conor Gillaspie to line out for the second out,
but Flowers hit a sharp grounder to right off Jared Burton, scoring Dayan
Viciedo, who slid under Suzuki's tag at home. Alejandro De Aza's RBI base hit
up the middle made it a 10-7 game.
Brian Dozier, Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham all singled off Jake Petricka
to start the ninth. Suzuki reached on a fielder's choice that scored Dozier.
Petricka recovered to strike out Vargas and Oswaldo Arcia to earn his seventh
save of the season.
In the second, De Aza reached on a force out with two gone in the frame.
Moises Sierra chopped a line-drive triple to the right-field corner to plate
De Aza. Eaton followed with a RBI bunt single for an early 2-0 lead.
Minnesota responded with five runs off Sale in the third. Dozier and Plouffe
hit back-to-back singles and Willingham's base hit scored Dozier. Suzuki's
double to left scored Plouffe and Vargas' ground-rule double to right plated
two runs. Vargas reached third on catcher Flowers' passed ball and came home
on Chris Colabello's groundout.
The White Sox tacked on a run in both the third and fourth. Ramirez reached on
a force out with two outs in the third and came home on Gillaspie's double to
right. Abreu provided an RBI single in the fourth to get Chicago within one.
Flowers' solo shot to right with two outs tied the game in the fifth and the
White Sox took the lead in the sixth.
Abreu and Konerko both singled off Anthony Swarzek before Ramirez gave Chicago
a 6-5 lead with a double to left.
The Twins evened the game in the seventh. A challenge overturned a call,
giving Dozier a leadoff single. Dozier moved to second and third on
consecutive groundouts and scored on Suzuki's base hit up the middle.
Eric Surkamp took the mound to start the eighth and struck out Arcia. Parmelee
got ahold of a 3-2 fastball and crushed it over the right-center wall to give
the Twins a 7-6 advantage.
Game Notes
Abreu has reached base in his last 10 plate appearances. It is the longest
streak by a White Sox player since Frank Thomas reached in 15 straight
appearances from May 16-20, 1997 ... Abreu extended his hitting streak to a
career-high 21 games and has hit safely in 39 of his last 40 games ... Sale's
four earned runs matched a season high ... Eaton has reached base safely in 18
consecutive games ... The season series is tied, 6-6.
