MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Lucas Giolito gave up two hits over eight innings with a season-high 11 strikeouts, guiding the Chicago White Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Giolito (3-4) threw 111 pitches in his longest start of the year, another stride forward after a rough first month. The third-inning fastball that Nelson Cruz hit to center for his 10th home run accounted for Minnesota’s only runner past second base. Cruz also singled in the first. His home run was his 427th in the majors, matching Mike Piazza and passing Billy Williams.
Liam Hendricks pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances, following a game-ending strikeout of Max Kepler with a shout and an arm pump to celebrate Chicago’s 20th win in its last 28 games.
Leury García hit a leadoff double against Matt Shoemaker (2-5) in the fifth inning and scored the tying run on an infield single by Adam Eaton. Then García gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the sixth, zapping whatever spark the Twins were seeking from their 5-4 comeback win on Tuesday. Giolito faced the minimum batters from the fourth inning on.
Before the season began, the fast-rising White Sox looked like the stiffest competition for the two-time defending division champion Twins in the AL Central. One quarter of the way through the season, the White Sox are running away from the field and the Twins are flailing to avoid last place.
Shoemaker finished six innings for the third time this season, one sign of encouragement for a Twins team that has lost 11 of its last 14.
Michael Pineda, the Twins’ best starting pitcher thus far, was put on the injured list with a skin problem, called an abscess, on his inner thigh. Luke Farrell was promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to fill in. Kenta Maeda, bothered by tightness in his groin, will be able to make his next scheduled start this weekend.
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