White Sox 10, Twins 4
CHICAGO -- Melky Cabrera went 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox became the first American League team to win 20 games with a 10-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday.
Adam Eaton and Tyler Saladino added two hits and two RBIs apiece for the White Sox, who scored runs in five of the first seven innings. Chicago (20-10) snapped a two-game losing streak.
Twins designated hitter Byung Ho Park finished 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs. Minnesota (8-21) lost its third consecutive game and has dropped seven of the past eight.
Right-hander Mat Latos (5-0) remained unbeaten despite an up-and-down performance in which he allowed four runs in five innings. Latos surrendered seven hits, walked two and struck out four.
Chicago's bullpen tandem of Zach Putnam, Zach Duke, Nate Jones and Scott Carroll combined to pitch four scoreless innings.
Right-hander Ricky Nolasco (1-1) gave up seven runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits in five innings. Nolasco walked two and struck out six.
Both teams' benches cleared but no punches were thrown after Minnesota Trevor May hit White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu in the ribs with a pitch in the eighth inning. The pitch came a half-inning after White Sox right-hander Nate Jones hit Park with an inside fastball.
Chicago manager Robin Ventura was ejected for arguing after May was allowed to remain in the game.
The White Sox built upon a 7-4 lead with a three-run seventh inning that made it 10-4. Dioner Navarro (RBI single) and Saladino (two-run single) ripped back-to-back hits to help put the game out of reach.
Chicago seized a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Cabrera drilled a double to the gap in left-center field. An error by Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar extended the inning to allow Cabrera's two-out drive.
Minnesota cut the deficit to 2-1 on an opposite-field single by Kurt Suzuki in the second inning.
Aggressive baserunning led Chicago to increase its lead to 4-1 in the second inning. Eaton drove in a pair of runs when he singled to left-center field and tried to advance to second base. Twins left fielder Oswaldo Arcia threw out Eaton at second base, but the play allowed Saladino to round third base and score standing up.
Abreu hit his fifth home run of the season to make it 5-1 for the White Sox in the third inning.
Arcia sliced Chicago's lead to 5-3 with a two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Minnesota pulled within 5-4 in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Sano.
Cabrera and Brett Lawrie hit back-to-back, run-scoring singles in the fifth inning to give Chicago a 7-4 edge.
NOTES: Minnesota RHP Ervin Santana (back strain) was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list Friday. Santana is scheduled to start Saturday against the White Sox. He is 0-1 with a 3.15 ERA in four starts this season. ... The White Sox recalled RHP Scott Carroll from Triple-A Charlotte before Friday's game. Carroll, 31, was 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 18 relief appearances with Chicago in 2015. ... Minnesota promoted OF Darin Mastroianni and C Juan Centeno from Triple-A Rochester before Friday's game. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated LHP Ryan O'Rourke and RHP J.R. Graham for assignment. ... White Sox C Alex Avila (strained right hamstring) headed to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment. ... Minnesota optioned C John Ryan Murphy to Triple-A Rochester. Murphy, 24, hit .075 (3-for-40) in 11 games.