Bailey Ober gets first career win as Twins down White Sox

[July 06, 2021]  Bailey Ober pitched five shutout innings to earn his first Major League victory and Max Kepler homered twice to lead the Minnesota Twins to an 8-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night in Minneapolis.

Ober (1-1), making his seventh career start, allowed two hits against the White Sox, walking three and tying his career high with seven strikeouts.

Kepler was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Nick Gordon had a two-run triple, Miguel Sano doubled twice and scored a run, and Luis Arraez also had two hits for Minnesota, which won for just the second time in 10 games against Chicago this season. Hansel Robles pitched around a walk and single in the ninth to garner his eighth save.

Jose Abreu homered, Yoan Moncada had a two-run triple and Leury Garcia added a two-run single for Chicago, which lost its third straight game. Dylan Cease (7-4) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out eight.

Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Kepler's eighth home run of the season, a 396-foot line drive into the bleachers in right to drive in Alex Kirilloff, who opened the inning with a ground-rule double to center.

The Twins extended the lead to 3-0 in the third when Trevor Larnach bounced a single into center, driving in Andrelton Simmons.

Chicago cut it to 3-1 in the sixth when Abreu smashed his 15th homer of the season off reliever Caleb Thielbar, a towering 411-foot drive into the third deck in left.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (82) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota made it 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run triple by Gordon, driving Kirilloff and Kepler. Gordon then scored on a Jace Fry wild pitch under the chin to Ben Rortvedt, who had squared around to bunt.

The White Sox cut it to 6-5 but blew a chance to tie it in the seventh. Garcia made it 6-3 with a two-run single, driving in Andrew Vaughn and Adam Eaton, who opened the inning back-to-back doubles. Tim Anderson then walked and Moncada followed with a two-run triple down the right field line to make it 6-5. But the Twins got out of the jam when Moncada, with the infield in and no outs, was easily cut down at the plate on Abreu's sharp grounder to third.

Taylor Rogers came on in relief and struck out Billy Hamilton and Zack Collins to end the inning.

Minnesota then extended its lead to 8-5 in the eighth on Kepler's opposite-field homer off Ryan Burr, his third homer over a seven at-bat span, and a safety squeeze by Simmons to drive in Sano.

--Field Level Media

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.