White Sox at Twins
The Minnesota Twins own the worst home record in the majors and endured a four-game mugging at home by Cleveland over the weekend, so it was huge to halt their skid on a night when their ace pitcher labored. The Twins look to win back-to-back home games for the first time in over a month when they host the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Kennys Vargas and Miguel Sano each recorded a homer and three RBIs in Tuesday's 9-7 victory as Minnesota improved to 15-24 at Target Field. While the offense picked up a struggling Ervin Santana, the Twins will come back with the younger Jose Berrios, who has registered quality starts in five of his seven turns since being promoted from the minors and has yielded two runs or fewer on five occasions. He'll be tested by the red-hot Jose Abreu, who homered as part of a four-hit effort as he extended his hitting streak to eight games and has notched at least one RBI in six in a row. Teammate Avisail Garcia ended a 10-game home run drought, going 3-for-4 to boost his batting average to an American League-best .339.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH David Holmberg (1-0, 2.63 ERA) vs. Twins RH José Berríos (6-1, 2.74)
Holmberg will be making his fifth start since being shifted from the bullpen to the rotation and has made it through five innings only once. He gave up one run and four hits over 4 1/3 frames in a no-decision versus Baltimore last time out and won at Cleveland with five innings of two-run ball in his previous turn. He gave up one hit in two frames versus the Twins on May 9.
Berrios pitched a season-high eight innings in a win over Seattle last time out, allowing two runs and five hits to win his third start in a row. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican has yet to yield more than six hits in a start and has surrendered four home runs, with three coming in his only loss of the season. While the Twins have struggled at home, Berrios is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA at Target Field.
WALK-OFFS
1. Abreu is the first player in White Sox history to swat his first 12 homers of a season away from home.
2. Twins LHP Hector Santiago and RHP Phil Hughes will begin rehab assignments at Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
3. Chicago DH Matt Davidson has recorded six homers and 10 RBIs over his last eight games.