White Sox lose on bases-loaded walk in 12th
MINNEAPOLIS — The White Sox got mostly outstanding pitching on Friday night. However, one wild inning cost them the game.
Pinch-hitter Joe Mauer drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 2-1 win.
Dan Jennings (4-3) hit Eddie Rosario with a full-count pitch to lead off the 12th. One out later Byron Buxton walked. Reliever Tommy Kahnle then came on and walked Brian Dozier and Mauer to push across the winning run.
“Extra innings is tough,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “But it feels like you gave it to them if you're not going to throw strikes. That's what makes it tougher.”
Trevor May (2-2) pitched a perfect 12th inning to pick up the win.
Adam Eaton put the White Sox on the board early when he led off the game with a long home run to right-center field. After that, however, only one White Sox runner reached second base against Twins starter Ricky Nolasco.
Chicago starter Jose Quintana allowed one run and seven hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Buxton's two-out double in the seventh inning ended his night after 112 pitches, but Matt Albers came on to retire Dozier and strand Buxton.
“Nolasco was throwing a good game, and when you saw that, it was trying to keep it close,” Quintana said. “Trying to throw quality pitches, and that's it.”
Nolasco cruised through a season-high eight innings, allowing just one run and three hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
“You've got to be able to wait him out and get something in the middle of the plate,” Ventura said of Nolasco. “He wasn't giving in, and we were chasing stuff. It just seemed like we were chasing stuff all night.”
EATON'S ARM
Eaton threw out two Twins base runners on Friday, giving him 16 assists this season, tops among MLB outfielders. In the sixth inning, the Twins tied the game on Kennys Vargas' broken-bat single to right. But Eaton's throw to the plate beat Miguel Sano by 20 feet, preventing the Twins from taking the lead.
Eaton later threw out Robbie Grossman trying to tag up from second on Sano's fly ball in the eighth inning.
“He continues to do that,” Ventura said. “I think guys run on him, and he's just showing a strong arm. He's as accurate as anyone in right field. I don't know anyone who's playing better right field than him.”
MORNEAU'S RETURN
Justin Morneau was a visiting player for the first time in the city he called home for a decade. The Twins traded their former first baseman and 2006 AL MVP late in the 2013 season. After stints with Pittsburgh and Colorado, Morneau signed with the White Sox in June. Since the trade he had only been back to Target Field for the 2014 Home Run Derby. He batted fifth as the designated hitter for the White Sox on Friday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: 3B Todd Frazier (flu) was scratched from the starting lineup. ... Ventura said there's “a good chance” that LHP Carlos Rodon (wrist) would return to the rotation on Sunday against the Twins.
Twins: 3B Trevor Plouffe (rib) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
UP NEXT
White Sox RHP Miguel Gonzalez (2-5) has a streak of five straight quality starts in July. On Saturday night he'll face Twins LHP Tommy Milone (3-3), who had won three straight starts before the Red Sox pounded him for three home runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings on July 24.