The White Sox came out on top to start the series against the Twins. Despite a bullpen game and a close score, they held onto the lead thanks to late-inning RBI doubles.
Kyle Teel managed a two-out double, and Ryan Jeffers collected a walk in an otherwise quiet first inning for both teams. Opening the ballgame up early on, Colson Montgomery took a cutter deep to start the second with a home run.
Curtis Mead followed up with a single. With just one out, Chase Meidroth homered to center, putting the Good Guys up 3-0 with his fourth home run this season.
With two quick outs, Royce Lewis reached on a fielding error from Mead. Edouard Julien walked, prompting a stir in the bullpen as Fraser Ellard reached 30 pitches, tops for him this year. Still hitless, the Twins loaded the bases as James Outman picked up a walk. Wikelman González stepped in to face the hottest hitter for Minnesota, Byron Buxton, and walked him (and a run in). González got Jeffers to go down swinging, ending any further threat.
Teel picked up a one-out walk in the top of the third, but was left on base. The Twins had back-to-back singles, but couldn’t manufacture any runs. Andrew Benintendi walked in the top of the fourth, and nothing came from it. Cam Booser was out for the fourth and started with back-to-back strikeouts. Buxton doubled, and on a wild pitch and throwing error from Teel, the Twins picked up another run to make it 3-2. Jeffers picked up his second walk of the game to continue the two-out rally, but Matt Wallner ended the inning with a strikeout.
Brooks Baldwin started the top of the fifth with a double that Buxton couldn’t field. Tauchman followed up with another hit straight to Buxton, which sent Baldwin home to earn a run back.
Montgomery hustled for an infield single to start the sixth, and Mead got his second hit of the day, this time against a struggling Génesis Cabrera. Meidroth reached on a fielder’s choice, but Montgomery was thrown out at home. Despite two runners on base, the Sox were unable to add to the score. Lewis put up a solo shot to make it 4-3 to start the bottom of the sixth. Edouard Julien kept the momentum going with a double. Steven Wilson came in to face Buxton with one out and one on. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who came in to pinch-run, stole third, and was able to tie the game after a sac fly from Buxton.
Teel did what he does best: got on base. This time via a two-out walk. Edgar Quero followed with a single, but Montgomery left the runners stranded by striking out. Wallner started the bottom of the seventh with a double, and Brooks Lee singled to give the Twins the lead, making it 5-4.
Mead singled at the start of the eighth. With one out, Meidroth grounded into a force out, taking Michael A. Taylor out at second. Meidroth advanced to second on a throwing error. Baldwin doubled, sending Bryan Ramos (who came in to run for Meidroth) home.
Tauchman continued the rally with a double as well, this time sending Baldwin home, retaking the lead now at 6-5. The Twins couldn’t answer and were retired in order.
Both teams were retired in order in the ninth, but the Good Guys would come out on top thanks to late-inning heroics and a whole lot of bullpen arms.
