Shields pitches White Sox past Twins, 6-1

[June 28, 2018]    James Shields scattered four hits while pitching seven shutout innings, and Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia each homered as the Chicago White Sox won their third straight game, 6-1 over the slumping Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

White Sox starting pitcher James Shields (33) pitches during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

It was just the second win since Opening Day for Shields (3-9), who entered the game with the third-lowest run support (3.06) in the majors this season.

Shields walked two and struck out five while allowing three earned runs or fewer for the eighth time in his past nine starts. He passed Dennis Martinez (2,149) into 68th place on the all-time strikeout list when he whiffed Eddie Rosario in the third inning. Shields now has 2,153 strikeouts in his career, three behind Tim Wakefield (2,156).

Abreu had two hits, including his 12th homer of the year in the fifth inning, and scored two runs. Leury Garcia, Tim Anderson and Charlie Tilson each added two hits and an RBI for Chicago. Avisail Garcia belted his third homer of the season in the eighth, a solo shot off reliever Ryan Pressly.

Kyle Gibson (2-6) took the loss for Minnesota, allowing five runs on 11 hits and a walk in seven innings to go along with seven strikeouts. Ehire Adrianza had four hits for the Twins, including a two-out RBI single in the ninth off reliever Juan Minaya to spoil the shutout as the Twins lost for the fifth time in six games.

Shields got all the runs he needed in the fourth as the White Sox parlayed four hits into a 3-0 lead. Leury Garcia lined a double to the fence in right to drive in Abreu, who singled to open the inning. Anderson followed with an RBI single, and Omar Narvaez added an RBI groundout.

After Abreu made it 4-0 with a homer to left in the fifth, the Twins appeared to cut it to 4-1 in the sixth with Shields was called for a balk that sent home Rosario, who had walked and gone to third on a Brian Dozier single.

However, after White Sox manager Rick Renteria came out and protested, the umpires then gathered near the mound, discussed the call and changed it, sending Rosario back to third. That resulted in a quick ejection for Minnesota manager Paul Molitor, who came charging out of the dugout. Shields then struck out Max Kepler to end the threat.

Tilson made it 5-0 in the sixth with a two-out RBI single that drove in Anderson before Avisail Garcia added a solo homer in the eighth.

--Field Level Media

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