LDN - Sports

Garcia's homer in 10th pushes White Sox past Twins

[April 17, 2017] MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor may think twice the next time Avisail Garcia steps to the plate with the game on the line.

Garcia's 10th-inning, two-run homer lifted the Chicago White Sox to a 3-1 win over the Twins on Sunday. Chicago took two of three games in the weekend series at Target Field.

Minnesota reliever Ryan Pressly (0-2) took the loss while Chicago's Nate Jones (1-0) came out of the bullpen to pick up the win. David Robertson pitched one inning for his third save of the season in three chances.

White Sox shortstop Leury Garcia led off the 10th inning with a double to the right-center-field gap off Pressly, and he advanced to third on Tyler Saladino's sacrifice bunt.

After Pressly struck out slumping Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia slugged an 0-1 pitch an estimated 384 feet over the right field wall.

"That situation is a big situation that he's been pretty effective, he's been really, really good," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "I can guarantee you he didn't go up there thinking he was going to hit a homer, he just wanted a pitch to hit."

Garcia, however, admitted to taking a big swing at Pressly's first pitch before altering his approach between pitches.

"I said to myself, 'Don't try and do too much, you know, just try to put the barrel on the ball because (Pressly) throws hard,'" Garcia said. "See the ball and hit it, that's what I did."

Garcia, who leads the majors with a .465 average, set a career high with four hits in the game (4-for-5).

"The question was whether we want to take a shot at him (Garcia) or (Matt) Davidson," Molitor said. "I thought we'd let it play out, thought he might be due to make an out. He had a heck of a series, he's off to a really good start."

"He was a little behind on the first swing so I thought I could stick another fastball by him," Pressly said. "But, you just got to tip your hat to him. He's a good hitter."

With the White Sox trailing 1-0 to start the eighth, Abreu was hit by Twins reliever Matt Belisle's pitch and advanced to third on Avisail Garcia's single.

Abreu tagged up on Davidson's sacrifice fly to center and scored when Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton's throw home glanced off the pitcher's mound.

The Twins got on the board first dramatically in the fifth when Brian Dozier circled the bases after his drive to the left-center-field gap deflected off of Chicago center fielder Jacob May's outstretched glove.

The throw home drew catcher Kevan Smith away from the plate as Dozier dove head first for his second home run of the season and first career inside-the-park home run.

Neither Minnesota starter Hector Santiago nor Chicago starter James Shields factored into the decision, but the pair went toe to toe for six innings with Dozier's home run the only blemish on the scoreboard.

Santiago went seven innings, allowing six hits, striking out six and hitting a batter. He threw 95 pitches, 69 of them for strikes. In six innings, Shields allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three.

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White Sox rght fielder Avisail Garcia (26) hits a two run homer during the tenth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The White Sox win 3-1 over the Twins in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

"Shieldsy pitched a nice ballgame again, gave us a chance," Renteria said. "Their guy did the same thing, kept them in the ballgame. I think, in the end, guys just continued to battle and we ended up coming out on top, fortunately for us."

Max Kepler laced a two-out single to right-center in the third for Minnesota's first hit, but was stranded when Shields got Miguel Sano to take a called third strike for the second time in two at-bats.

Sano, who leads the Twins in walks and runs scored, struck out four times on Sunday.

Avisail Garcia led off the top of the fourth with a one-hopper to second that was ruled a hit despite Dozier failing to handle it cleanly. Davidson followed with a single to right to advance Garcia to second with nobody out. But Santiago escaped the inning unscathed with a pair of strikeouts and a fielder's choice, stranding Garcia at third.

"You don't let it faze you (putting runners on), you just make those pitches," Santiago said. "Don't let it faze you, get back there, make some good pitches, mix it up, and you can work your way out of some trouble."

Shields faced his first threat in the fourth when the Twins loaded the bases with two outs on singles by Robbie Grossman and Jorge Polanco and an Eddie Rosario walk. Buxton failed to deliver, however, striking out to end the inning.

"We had some chances, didn't move the runners along when we could, didn't score enough," Molitor said.

NOTES: Minnesota's most recent inside-the-park homer was also against Chicago when CF Byron Buxton performed the feat Oct. 2, 2016, at Chicago. Brian Dozier's inside-the-park homer was the 52nd in Twins history and the second ever at Target Field. ... Minnesota DH/OF Robbie Grossman made his first start of the season in right field in place of Max Kepler, who went 2-for-4 as DH on Sunday. ... The White Sox were without 3B Todd Frazier, who left Saturday's game with flu-like symptoms after striking out in the fourth inning. ... Struggling White Sox SS Tim Anderson sat out Sunday's game. Anderson, who is batting just .143 and has twice as many strikeouts (12) as hits (six), will return Monday. ... Both teams return to action Monday night, with Minnesota remaining home to host Cleveland for three games while Chicago continues its nine-game road trip in New York against the Yankees.

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