Garcia's homer in 10th pushes White Sox past Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- Avisail Garcia's 10th-inning, two-run homer lifted the White Sox to a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as Chicago took two of three games in the weekend series at Target Field.
Minnesota reliever Ryan Pressly (0-2) took the loss, while Chicago's Nate Jones (1-0) came out of the bullpen to pick up the win. David Robertson pitched one inning for his third save of the season in three chances.
Chicago shortstop Leury Garcia led off the 10th inning with a double to the right-center-field gap off Pressly, and he advanced to third on Tyler Saladino's sacrifice bunt.
After Pressly struck out slumping Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia slugged an 0-1 pitch an estimated 384 feet over the right field wall.
Garcia set a career high with four hits in the game.
With the White Sox trailing 1-0 to start the eighth, Abreu was hit by Twins reliever Matt Belisle's pitch and advanced to third on Avisail Garcia's single.
Abreu tagged up on Matt Davidson's sacrifice fly to center and scored when Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton's throw home glanced off the pitcher's mound.
The Twins got on the board first dramatically in the fifth when Brian Dozier circled the bases after his drive to the left-center-field gap deflected off of Chicago center fielder Jacob May's outstretched glove.
The throw home drew catcher Kevan Smith away from the plate as Dozier dove head first for his second home run of the season and first career inside-the-park home run.
Neither Minnesota starter Hector Santiago nor Chicago starter James Shields factored into the decision, but the pair went toe to toe for six innings with Dozier's home run the only blemish on the scoreboard.
Santiago went seven innings, allowing six hits, striking out six and hitting a batter. He threw 95 pitches, 69 of them for strikes. In six innings of work, Shields allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three.
Kepler laced a two-out single to right center in the third for Minnesota's first hit, but was stranded when Shields got Miguel Sano to take a called third strike for the second time in two at-bats.
Avisail Garcia led off the top of the fourth with a one-hopper to second that was ruled a hit despite Dozier failing to handle it cleanly. Davidson followed with a single to right to advance Garcia to second with nobody out. But Santiago escaped the inning unscathed with a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice, stranding Garcia at third.
Shields faced his first threat in the fourth when the Twins loaded the bases with two outs on singles by Robbie Grossman and Jorge Polanco and an Eddie Rosario walk. Buxton failed to deliver, however, striking out to end the inning.
NOTES: Minnesota's most recent inside-the-park homer was also against Chicago when CF Byron Buxton performed the feat Oct. 2, 2016, at Chicago. Dozier's inside-the-park homer was the 52nd in Twins history and the second ever at Target Field. ... Minnesota DH/OF Robbie Grossman made his first start of the season in right field in place of Max Kepler, who went 2-for-4 as DH on Sunday. ... The White Sox were without 3B Todd Frazier, who left Saturday's game with flu-like symptoms after striking out in the fourth inning. ... Struggling White Sox SS Tim Anderson sat out Sunday's game. Anderson, who is batting just .143 and has twice as many strikeouts (12) as hits (six), will return Monday. ... Both teams return to action Monday night, with Minnesota remaining home to host Cleveland for three games while Chicago continues its nine-game road trip in New York against the Yankees.