Polanco’s single against Hendriks deals White Sox 5-4 loss
MINNEAPOLIS — The White Sox were trying to do all they could to avoid getting sidetracked by manager Tony La Russa’s calling out of Yermin Mercedes for missing a sign and hitting a home run the night before.
There was just no getting over three home runs by Miguel Sano. The Twins first baseman hit three homers, including a two-run tying blast to right center against lefty Aaron Bummer in the eighth after belting two solo shots against Sox starter Lance Lynn.
Against Sox closer Liam Hendriks in the ninth, Jorge Polanco singled home Andrelton Simmons with two outs to give the Twins, who rallied from a three-run deficit, a 5-4 walkoff victory. Simmons led off the inning against Bummer.
Lynn pitched six innings of two-run ball and Yasmani Grandal and Jake Lamb homered as the Sox, going for their fifth straight win against the defending AL Central champion Twins, built an early 4-1 lead
Grandal hit his fifth homer, a two-run shot against Ober who was making his major league debut after Michael Pineda was scratched from his start after having an inner-thigh abscess procedure.
Lynn didn’t have his strikeout stuff going — he fanned two — but walked just one and gave up five hits, two of them solo homers by Sano for the only Twins damage against him. Lynn has allowed three unearned runs over his last three starts.
Twins reliever Tyler Duffey threw behind Mercedes in the seventh, an obvious retaliation for Mercedes swinging with a 3-0 count in the ninth inning of a 16-4 game Monday won by the Sox.
Swift Billy
No one expects Hamilton to become an offensive force — he’s a .241/.295/.325 career hitter known for his defense and speed with 309 stolen bases — with the Sox but the veteran outfielder said the environment on his new team could help him be a more productive hitter.
“Coming here, with all these guys, has been a gamechanger for me,” Hamilton said. “Being around these guys who have so much confidence is rubbing off on me. You get to the park and want to learn about hitting, the way these guys talk about hitting. I listen and want to be a part of it.”
Outfield injuries opened a door for Hamilton, who has covered center field splendidly. Hamilton, who was hitting .225/.256/.350 entering Tuesday. He says hitting coach Frank Menechino and shortstop Tim Anderson have been confidence whisperers.
“It’s like, ‘Billy, I don’t want to hear that crap about you can’t hit,’ ” Hamilton said. “ ‘We’re going to help you get to where you want to be.’ I’m getting better, learning more about hitting. I go up to the plate now, I have a chance. In the past it was, ‘Man, I have to hit again.’ I was afraid to fail at the plate. Now I’m ready, I don’t care who is pitching or the situation.”
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/2T3IIHx
No comments:
Post a Comment