Twins at White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are at the beginning of a rebuilding cycle but are already encouraged by what they are seeing from their young players. The White Sox will try to ride the young core to another win when they host the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series on Tuesday.
Second baseman Yoan Moncada was the big prize Chicago got back after dealing ace Chris Sale away prior to last season, and the 23-year-old showed off his skillset on Sunday by busting out of a slump with a homer and six RBIs in the 10-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. "He had some really good at-bats, obviously in big situations," White Sox manager Rick Renteria told reporters of Moncada. "Drove the ball well. Again, you're going to see days like that. Hopefully, there's more days like that than not. Obviously, a little sign of what the young man can do." The Twins have plenty of intriguing young talent as well and used the headliner of that group - right-hander Jose Berrios - to avoid a sweep against the Texas Rangers with a 2-0 victory on Sunday. Minnesota will send a veteran to the mound on Tuesday in right-hander Lance Lynn while Chicago shows off another piece of the future in righty Reynaldo Lopez.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Lance Lynn (5-5, 4.64 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (2-5, 3.59)
Lynn is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA over his last six starts and is coming off a win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in which he yielded just one unearned run over five innings. The 31-year-old issued five walks in that outing and has yet to complete seven innings in a start this season due to high pitch counts. Lynn started at the White Sox on May 5 and earned a win while allowing two runs and eight hits over six innings without walking a batter.
Lopez had a string of three straight quality starts come to an end at Cleveland on Wednesday, when he was knocked around for five runs - four earned - on six hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings. The 24-year-old is allowing opponents a .231 batting average. Lopez dominated Minnesota on June 5, when he allowed one hit and walked four over seven scoreless frames without factoring in the decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. Twins LF Eddie Rosario scored at least one run in 11 of his last 13 games.
2. Chicago LHP Xavier Cedeno has yet to allow a run in nine appearances this season.
3. Minnesota RHP Fernando Rodney struck out three in a perfect inning on Sunday and last blew a save on April 26.