Twins trample Sale, White Sox

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[May 01, 2015]  MINNEAPOLIS -- Rarely do the Minnesota Twins have batter Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale.

Thursday was one of those, times as Minnesota got the best of the lanky lefty, plating nine runs against him in just three innings during a 12-2 rout at Target Field.

After scoring a run in each the first and second innings, the Twins jumped all over Sale for seven runs in the third, using three RBI singles to take the lead before second baseman Brian Dozier' knockout blow: a three-run homer that made it a 9-2 game.

"We dropped a few bleeders in there, and I felt like he just got frustrated and tried to throw the ball a little too hard and just left it over the plate," Dozier said. "Good hitting teams will capitalize on that.

"But to put up runs like that, against maybe the best left-hander in the game, that's pretty good."

Sale, who entered the game 7-1 with a 2.37 ERA against Minnesota in 18 career appearances (seven starts), took the loss, dropping to 2-1 on the season.

"I just stunk, really," Sale said. "Leaving pitches up, just was bad. Bad day, picked a bad day to be pretty bad, too."

White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Sale's off-speed stuff wasn't nearly as effective as it normally is.

"Just didn't have the bite it usually has," Ventura said. "Maybe location, but also, we didn't help him. We haven't been as sharp defensively the last couple of days, and anytime you're going to give them opportunities, you're putting a guy in a bind. It just has to be better."

After a two-run top of the third tied the game for Chicago, Minnesota first three batters reached in the bottom half. Catcher Kurt Suzuki singled to center to score the first run of the barrage. Two batters later, left fielder Eduardo Escobar knocked in two with a single to center.

Center fielder Shane Robinson dribbled a single to right to score Escobar before Dozier's second blast of the season cleared the fence in left field.

"Our approaches were good, we got (Sale's) pitch count up and we made him work," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Once we got it rolling, we were able to put up a big number."

Right-hander Trevor May (2-1) was the beneficiary of the offensive support. May wasn't great, allowing 10 hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings, but he limited the damage to two runs. He struck out four.

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"Sometimes you don't have your best stuff, I didn't feel like I had my swing-and-miss stuff or the command that I've had in the past," May said. "Sometimes you just have to do what you can with what you got. Having a seven-run lead certainly helps you stay with what you can control and go right after guys."

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer had three hits and knocked in two runs, raising his average to .318. After a slow start, Mauer is hitting .333 over the past 12 games with and has eight RBIs over his past six games.

Dozier finished with two hits, two runs and four RBIs.

"You look over the past week or so even two weeks, we've been swinging the bats well," Dozier said. "A lot of clutch hitting. That's what you have to do to win baseball games."

A bloop single by Mauer scored one to give the Twins a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Dozier singled home a run in the second before back-to-back RBI singles by left fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Jose Abreu tied the game for Chicago in the top of the third.

The Twins added to their lead in the eighth on a two-run double by pinch hitter Chris Herrmann and an RBI single by Mauer.


NOTES: White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez hit second in the lineup and went 2-for-5. Ramirez, who entered the game with a .194 average, is a .277 career hitter in the No. 2 hole. He spent much of this season hitting seventh and eighth. ... Twins RHP Casey Fien was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder soreness. Minnesota recalled RHP Michael Tonkin from Triple-A Rochester. ... The White Sox and Twins play the second game of the four-game series Friday at Target Field. Chicago LHP Jose Quintana (1-1, 6.55 ERA) faces Minnesota RHP Kyle Gibson (1-2, 4.84 ERA).

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