LDN - Sports

White Sox pound out 11-4 win over Twins

[September 03, 2016] MINNEAPOLIS -- Todd Frazier was sitting on the precipice of some club history after homering in the series opener against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. On Friday, Frazier got over the hump.

The slugging third baseman belted his 35th homer of the season in leading the Chicago White Sox to an 11-4 win over the Twins at Target Field.

With the blast, Frazier moved past current manager Robin Ventura for the most home runs by a third baseman in club history. Ventura smacked 34 home runs in 1996.

After circling the basepaths, Frazier and Ventura shared a quick moment and a handshake in the dugout.

"He told me the other day that he was going to take me out and not let me play the rest of the season," Frazier joked. "But there might be some trouble there. It was all in fun. It was cool, one of my goals coming in. Halfway through the year, I wanted to get him."

Frazier's blast moved him ahead of Oakland's Khris Davis and Toronto's Josh Donaldson for third most in the American League this season, six behind league leader Mark Trumbo of Baltimore.

"It's sad around here when one of those goes down," Ventura quipped. "(I'm) proud of him. (I) like to see him break a record. I don't want it to be mine, but we had some fun with it."

Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera each had three hits and knocked in three runs as Chicago snapped a four-game losing streak.

Frazier's two-run shot in the fourth inning tied the score at 3 and came moments after Brian Dozier connected on a three-run blast that gave Minnesota the lead.

After the clubs traded single runs in the fifth, Chicago took the lead for good on an RBI double by Carlos Sanchez in the top of the sixth. The White Sox tacked on three more runs in both the eighth and ninth, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Adam Eaton reached base five times on three singles, a double and a walk as Chicago tied a season high with 16 hits.

Carlos Rodon (6-8) kept his pitch count low, completing seven innings with just 79 pitches but allowed four runs (three earned), seven hits and a walk. He also struck out four in winning his third consecutive start and fourth straight decision.

"A few pitches ... Dozier's been on me the whole year now," Rodon said. "I just can't get him. But overall, I made a good adjustment late. I knew I needed to keep them at four and let the offense work."

Minnesota's Kyle Gibson (5-9) took the loss, surrendering five runs, nine hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

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The Minnesota Twins fans celebrate as second baseman Brian Dozier (2) hits a three run home run during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

"Just couldn't put up a zero after every time we scored," Gibson said. "The offense did a great job of putting up runs there in the third inning and I relinquished it real quick."

Abreu's two-out single to center field gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The hit extended his on-base streak to 29 games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.

Minnesota clawed back in the bottom of the third, getting singles from the No. 8 and 9 hitters to set up Dozier, who smacked his 33rd homer of the season, into the left-field seats. It was Dozier's 19th since the All-Star break, the most in baseball, and seventh in his last 11 games at home. His 33 home runs are the most by a second baseman in a season since Dan Uggla hit 35 in 2011.

"It's tough when you have a chance to get a shutdown inning after you score and it happened a couple of times; Dozier's big hit and they came right back with the two-run homer," said Twins manager Paul Molitor.

Cabrera and Jorge Polanco traded RBI singles in the fifth to keep the score knotted at four apiece.

NOTES: White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez allowed seven runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings with Triple-A Charlotte in his first rehab outingon Thursday. Gonzalez has been on the disabled list since Aug. 12 with a strained right groin. ... Twins LHP Buddy Boshers returned from the 15-day disabled list. Boshers missed 20 games because of left elbow inflammation. He made two scoreless appearances during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester. ... The White Sox and Twins will play the third of a four-game series on Saturday night at Target Field. Chicago will send RHP James Shields to the mound against Minnesota LHP Hector Santiago.

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