Twins power past White Sox
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins bashed four home runs and scored eight runs in the third inning of an 11-3 thrashing of the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night at Target Field.
Minnesota got to White Sox starter James Shields for five runs, hitting three homers off the beleaguered right-hander in less than three innings of work.
Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe all went deep before nine outs had been recorded as the Twins won for just the second time in 17 games.
Minnesota starter Hector Santiago pitched six quality innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks to earn his first victory since being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 1. It was his second straight quality start after he was roughed up in each of his first four starts as a Twin.
Adam Eaton and Dozier traded leadoff home runs in the first inning as the score was tied 1-1. It was the fourth time this season both teams hit a leadoff home run to begin the game.
Carlos Sanchez singled in a run in the second to give Chicago a brief lead before Minnesota went ahead for good in the bottom of the inning on Buxton's two-run blast into the upper deck in left field. It was Buxton's second home run in three games since his latest recall from Triple-A Rochester and third of the season.
The Twins sent 13 men to the plate as part of an eight-run third that blew the game wide open. Shields allowed a leadoff walk before Sano's two-run blast with one out gave the Twins a 5-2 lead. The right-hander was lifted after walking Eddie Rosario a second time, just his 10th and 11th walks of the season.
Shields was charged with five runs in 2 1/3 innings on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts. It was the eighth time in 17 starts with the White Sox that Shields has allowed at least five runs.
Chicago got the second out of the inning when Rosario was easily thrown out at the plate on Juan Centeno's single to left and had a chance to get out of the inning after Buxton doubled to put two runners in scoring position.
Dozier grounded sharply to third baseman Todd Frazier, who short-hopped a throw to first base that Jose Abreu couldn't handle, allowing a run to score and the inning to continue.
Polanco followed with a ground-rule double that scored two and Plouffe cleared the bases two batters later with a three-run homer that cleared the fence in center field.
The Twins put two more runners on before Michael Ynoa got Rosario to fly out to the warning track in left field to end the inning.
Six of the eight runs scored were unearned and the eight runs allowed in the inning were the most given up by the White Sox in an inning this season.
NOTES: White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez, who pitched in a rehab game with Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday, is expected to rejoin the major league club next week and could pitch against Detroit. A start by Gonzalez would allow the club to give LHP Jose Quintana an extra day of rest. ... Twins C John Ryan Murphy was recalled from Triple-A Rochester. Murphy hit .236 with three homers and 39 RBIs in 83 games with Rochester this season after making the major league club out of spring training. He hit .075 in 40 at-bats with Minnesota before being optioned in early May. ... The White Sox and Twins will complete their four-game series on Sunday afternoon at Target Field. Chicago will send RHP Anthony Ranaudo to the mound against Minnesota LHP Andrew Albers.