Benintendi stars as White Sox top Twins 3-2 in 10 innings
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 02: Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi (23) is greeted by his teammates after hitting a game winning rbi single in the tenth inning during a Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White
CHICAGO - Andrew Benintendi robbed Carlos Correa of a homer and hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, sending the Chicago White Sox over the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Hanser Alberto opened the 10th on second as the automatic runner and advanced on Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice. After Tim Anderson bounced to shortstop and Benintendi lined a clean single into left against Caleb Thielbar (0-1).
Eloy Jiménez homered and Michael Kopech pitched six effective innings as the White Sox earned their second straight win after a 10-game losing streak. Kopech got some help from Benintendi, who made a leaping grab in left on Correa’s drive in the first.
Jimmy Lambert (2-1) pitched a scoreless 10th for the win, which came hours after the White Sox made 11 roster moves.
Minnesota wasted another stellar performance by Joe Ryan, who pitched six scoreless innings. Nick Gordon hit his first homer of the season, and Trevor Larnach had a sacrifice fly.
The AL Central-leading Twins had won six of eight.
Ryan allowed one hit, struck out seven and walked two, lowering his ERA to 2.37. The right-hander is 8-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 70 Ks in 62 2/3 innings over 10 starts dating to last season.
Minnesota jumped in front in the sixth, taking advantage of a wild stretch for Kopech. After Byron Buxton singled with one out for the Twins’ first hit, Jorge Polanco and Correa reached on consecutive four-pitch walks.
Buxton scored easily on Larnach’s fly ball to center. Kopech escaped the jam by retiring Jose Miranda on a grounder to third.
Jorge López replaced Ryan in the seventh, Andrew Vaughn hit a leadoff single and Jiménez connected for his third homer, sending a drive into the left-field stands.
But Minnesota tied it at 2 on Gordon’s first career pinch-hit homer, a leadoff drive against Alexander Colomé in the eighth.
Colomé was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte as part of a flurry of pregame roster changes by the White Sox. Anderson was reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and rookie outfielder Oscar Colás was sent down.
Anderson went 0 for 4 in his first major league game since he sprained his left knee on April 10 at Minnesota. The All-Star shortstop had a 12-pitch walk against Ryan in the sixth, but was promptly erased by a double play.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: Buxton has served as the team’s regular designated hitter this season, but manager Rocco Baldelli said he could return to center field at some point. Buxton has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. "He’s just an incredibly consequential guy," Baldelli said.
White Sox: Closer Liam Hendriks likely will begin a minor league rehab assignment by the end of this week. Hendriks is coming back from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. "Just watching him be healthy and strong and a smile on his face and be here where he loves to be, just makes anybody’s day," manager Pedro Grifol said. ... RHP Reynaldo López (biceps fatigue) had some testing done, and Grifol said the reliever is going to take a day or two off before trying to throw again.
UP NEXT
White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease (2-1, 4.15 ERA) takes the mound on Wednesday night. He is 0-1 with a 7.07 ERA in his last three starts. Right-hander Louie Varland (0-0, 4.50 ERA) is expected to make his second start of the season for the Twins, stepping into the rotation after Tyler Mahle was sidelined by an elbow injury.