CHICAGO (AP) – Adam Engel delivered a tiebreaking pinch-hit single in the eighth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Monday night to increase their lead in the AL Central.
Chicago opened its pivotal four-game set against Minnesota with its ninth win in 10 games. The White Sox (31-16) moved two games ahead of the second-place Twins (30-19).
Twins reliever Taylor Rogers (1-3) walked Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert with no outs in the eighth. Engel then made it 2-1 with a bouncer up the middle.
After Nick Madrigal lined out, Tim Anderson added an RBI double off the fence in left. Anderson had three hits, strengthening his position in the race for the AL MVP award.
White Sox reliever Gio Gonzalez retired the first two batters in the eighth before issuing consecutive walks. Alex Colome relieved Gonzalez and walked Josh Donaldson to load the bases for Nelson Cruz, who grounded out to leave the bases loaded for the second time in the game.
Minnesota went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position and left 15 runners on base. It had won three in a row.
Colome (2-0) also worked around another adventure for left fielder Eloy Jimenez in the ninth.
Byron Buxton hit a line drive by Jimenez that went to the fence. Jimenez put his hands up because he thought the ball was lodged at the bottom of the wall. Buxton didn’t hesitate and ran around the bases for what appeared to be an inside-the-park homer.
After a replay review, the home run was overturned and Buxton went back to second for a ground-rule double. Colome recorded the final out by striking out Jake Cave looking.
Chicago jumped in front on Madrigal’s two-out RBI single in the second. Minnesota tied it on Jorge Polanco’s two-out RBI single in the fifth, chasing Dylan Cease.
The Twins put the leadoff hitter on in the first six innings. Cease struck out Willians Astudillo with runners at first and third to end the fourth.
Twins starter Jose Berrios allowed six hits in five innings.
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