Postgame Report: Twins 5, White Sox 4

The bullpen lost a late lead, as the White Sox dropped their first game of the season to Minnesota in walkoff fashion.

For a game that’s more than likely be remembered for the Twins’ decision to throw at Yermin Mercedes in the 7th, Wednesday’s tilt between the Sox and Twins was undoubtedly a good one. Early on the game looked like it was headed for another big win in the Sox favor. At the end of the four, the good guys were ahead 4-0. That would be the last sign of life we’d see in the offense, as the bats would go cold and Minnesota would mount a mini-rally that allowed them to start clawing back, ultimately walking off in the 9th.

Lance Lynn tossed a quality start, and the Sox got another good outing from Michael Kopech to go along with offensive contributions from unlikely sources. Unfortunately, the offense ended a couple innings too early and the Sox pitching was not able to keep Miguel Sano and the Twins offense down.

With the loss, the Twins pick up their first win against the Sox this year with the final game of the series coming tomorrow.

W: Taylor Rogers (1-2) | L: Aaron Bummer (0-2)

Savant Leaders

Notable Performances 

Lance Lynn: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Lance Lynn continued to put the Sox in position to win with his six innings of two-run ball, with the latter of those two runs coming on a solo home run on a pitch that surpassed his 100-pitch mark. Lynn allowed just five hits and a single free pass to secure another quality start on the year despite his home-run-allowed count on the season doubling.

Jake Lamb: 1-for-3, HR, 2 R

La Russa penciled Lamb into the two-hole for tonight’s game and he wasted no time in responding when he launched a solo shot in the second at-bat of the entire game. While Lamb has received sparse opportunities, he has made the most of them, homering twice already this season.

Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-3, HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI, R

Yaz continued to do what he does best and that’s getting on base via the walk. On top of another pair of walks, Grandal launched a 2-run shot in the 3rd to add onto a then White Sox lead. The homer was Grandal’s third of the week, and another positive step back in the right direction for Yaz. His OBP is just a tick under .400 for the season.

Other Highlights

Moncada’s RBI Double

Matchup of the Game

Bottom 7 – 2 Outs: Andrew Vaughn vs Alex Colome

Speaking with a 4-2 lead in the 7th, Steve Stone labeled this at-bat as a big one, although it may not have appeared that way at the time. After Yermin Mercedes and Yasmani Grandal walked in the top of the 7th, Andrew Vaughn stepped up to face Alex Colome. The matchup started in Vaughn’s favor when Colome threw three straight balls and going down 3-0. The former Sox closer was able to get the count back to full before sitting Vaughn down with a painted 94 MPH fastball on the outside corner that got him swinging. The lack of insurance runs would come back to hurt the White Sox late in this one.

Player of the Game 

Lance Lynn is my pick for tonights Player of the Game because he did more than enough to give the White Sox a good chance to win. It was pretty evident that his A+ stuff was not present, but he still managed to limit damage and pitch with a lead. He departed from the game against his former team in position to win, but the bullpen was not able to lock up Lynn’s fifth win of the year.

Looking Ahead 

The White Sox and Twins will conclude their series tomorrow at Target Field where they’ll face off with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 PM CT. Lucas Giolito (2-4) will face off against fellow righty Matt Shoemaker (2-4) for the deciding match of the Sox-Twins series, which will be the last between the two until June 28th when they face off in Chicago. Wednesday’s game will be broadcasted on NBC Sports Chicago.

We’ll leave you with this. Feel free to respond accordingly.