Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – J.B. Shuck’s pinch-hit RBI single during the
eighth inning lifted the Chicago White Sox to their first win of the season, a
5-4 decision over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Conor Gillaspie finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single, Adam LaRoche and Geovany
Soto each homered and Avisail Garcia also knocked in a run for the White Sox,
who opened the season with four straight losses.
Starter Jeff Samardzija gave up four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts
over seven frames, while Zach Duke (1-0) tossed a scoreless eighth for the
win.
Danny Santana supplied two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Twins, who
took the series opener 6-0 on Friday. Starter Mike Pelfrey lasted five
innings, giving up four runs on seven hits.
Chicago used three straight two-out hits to go ahead in the eighth. Twins
first baseman Joe Mauer failed to hold on to the ball on a tag and Alexei
Ramirez was safe. After Gillaspie greeted Blaine Boyer (0-1), Shuck’s liner to
shallow left scored Ramirez, but Gillaspie was thrown out at home to end the
frame.
David Robertson struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the
season.
Trevor Plouffe opened the Minnesota second with a liner to right for a leadoff
double, moved to third on Oswaldo Arcia’s groundout and raced home on
Chris Herrmann’s triple to right.
Shane Robinson followed by chopping a breaking ball into right, bringing home
Herrmann for a 2-0 score. Robinson stole second and took third on a throwing
error before Santana and Brian Dozier each provided RBI singles for a 4-0
lead.
In the home half, LaRoche responded with a towering leadoff blast to left-
center field. Garcia hit a first-pitch slider to right for a ground-rule
double and scored on Gillaspie’s grounder to left two batters later to cut
the deficit to 4-2.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the third, Garcia’s grounder deflected
off Pelfrey to get the White Sox within one. Pelfrey, however, got out of the
jam after Ramirez hit into a double play and Gillaspie grounded out.
Soto kicked off the fourth by cranking a 3-2 fastball just over the wall in
center for a tied game.
Game Notes
The White Sox avoided their first 0-5 start since 1974 … Twins infielder
Eduardo Escobar missed the game due to the birth of his son … Minnesota
right-hander Phil Hughes is slated to oppose Chicago left-hander Chris Sale in
Sunday’s rubber match … Following the contest, the ChiSox optioned infielder
Carlos Sanchez to Triple-A Charlotte.
