White Sox can't hang on against Twins, fall 10-9
hris Colabello had a career-high six RBIs and doubled twice, Oswaldo Arcia hit a go-ahead triple and the Minnesota Twins avoided a season-opening sweep with a 10-9 comeback win Thursday over the Chicago White Sox.
Trailing 9-8 heading into the ninth, the Twins scored twice off Chicago closer Matt Lindstrom (0-1), who blew his first save chance in two opportunities. Trevor Plouffe singled with two outs in the ninth to tie the game before Arcia's triple off the wall in center gave Minnesota a 10-9 lead.
Glen Perkins then picked up his first save after squandering Minnesota's lead Wednesday. The Twins hung even though Dayan Viciedo doubled with one out and reached third on a throwing error. Perkins got Paul Konerko to ground to third to end the game, giving manager Ron Gardenhire his 999th career win.
Caleb Thielbar (1-0) got his first win of the season despite allowing Marcus Semien's go-ahead homer in the eighth.
Colabello's fifth-inning double off Jose Quintana gave the Twins a 5-1 lead. Over the offseason, Colabello turned down a chance to play in South Korea for more money and chose to stay with the Twins and fight for a roster spot.
Twins starter Phil Hughes had no such worries. Signed by the Twins to a three-year, $24 million contract after spending seven years with the Yankees, Hughes was brought in to help stabilize the Minnesota rotation. In his Twins debut he lasted five innings and allowed four runs, seven hits and two home runs while striking out seven.
Over his last two seasons with the Yankees, Hughes gave up 59 home runs.
Jose Abreu went 2 for 4 with a double and triple and four RBIs, helping the White Sox rally from a 5-1 deficit. His fifth-inning double cut the Twins' lead to 5-2, and then his bases-loaded triple off the wall in center field against Anthony Swarzak gave the White Sox an 8-5 lead in the sixth.
Abreu was intentionally walked twice Wednesday, making him the first player with a two-intentional walk game within his first two career games since at least 1955 when the statistic was first tracked.
Alejandro De Aza hit his third home run of the season and Adam Dunn homered in the fifth to tie Dave Kingman for 38th all-time with 442. Tyler Flowers also had a career-high four hits, helping Chicago score 21 runs in the opening series after scoring the fewest in the American League last year with 598.
That put Quintana in position for his first win of the year after he went six innings and allowed five runs — two earned. Quintana signed a five-year contract in spring training and settled for his first no-decision after setting an American League record last year with 17.