Frazier sets team homer record; White Sox beat Twins 11-4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - When Todd Frazier was acquired by the White Sox last December, there was an expectation he would add a powerful component to the Chicago lineup.
He has.
Frazier homered for the second straight game, Adam Eaton had four hits and the White Sox pulled away to beat the Minnesota Twins 11-4 on Friday night.
Frazier's homer was his 35th of the year and established a record for a Chicago third baseman. White Sox manager Robin Ventura hit 34 in 1996.
"He told me he was going to take me out the other day and not let me play for the rest of the season," Frazier said smiling. "It was all fun. . Halfway during the year it was kind of the goal that I wanted to get him."
Added Ventura, who briefly playfully avoided Frazier in the dugout after the hit: "You're proud of him."
Carlos Rodon (6-8) tied a season-high with seven innings pitched for his career-high fourth straight win as the White Sox ended a four-game losing streak.
Rodon wasn't as sharp as his previous five outings when he was 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA, with each one a quality start. He allowed seven hits, four runs - three earned - and hit two batters, but was more successful later in the game, retiring eight of the final nine hitters he faced.
"I made a good adjustment late," Rodon said. "Going in wasn't working, so I decided to go up and in."
Brian Dozier homered for Minnesota, which ended a 13-game losing streak Thursday. The Twins have the majors' worst record at 50-85.
Starter Kyle Gibson (5-9), who had given up one earned run in 12 2/3 innings against Chicago this season, allowed five in 5 2/3 innings on Friday. The right-hander has allowed 30 earned runs in 39 2/3 innings over his past seven starts - including a complete game allowing three runs Aug. 17 in Atlanta - to push his season ERA to 5.31.
"I don't know," Gibson said. "It's been kind of frustrating ever since in Atlanta. I thought I kind of turned the corner and made an adjustment. It's been a couple times this year where I feel like I've been on the verge of kind of figuring something out and then a big inning happens or a bad start happens."
Leading 5-4, Jose Abreu singled up the middle on a less-than-full swing to score two runs in a three-run eighth. Eaton had an RBI single and Melky Cabrera a two-run single in the ninth.
Chicago tied a season-high with 16 hits. It had 15 in Thursday's 8-5 loss.
"It's refreshing, "Frazier said. "We should have done a lot more like that, but just couldn't do it."
Dozier's three-run homer gave the Twins a 3-1 lead in the third. It was the 33rd of the season for the second baseman, who hit 13 in August and has a majors-best 19 since the All-Star break.
ABREU STAYS HOT
Abreu was 3 for 6 with an RBI and has reached base in a career-high 29 straight games, the longest run by a White Sox player since Juan Pierre had a 29-game streak six years ago. Abreu has 11 hits in 23 at-bats in his last five games. He had three hits, including a home run Thursday, and hit .362 with eight home runs and 18 RBIs in August.
TRAINERS ROOM
White Sox: SS Tim Anderson, who left Thursday's game with a bruised right calf, did not play. The rookie, who has hit safely in 21 of his last 24 games, is day to day.
Twins: LHP Buddy Boshers was reinstated from the 15-day DL after missing 20 games with left elbow inflammation. ... OF Robbie Grossman missed his fourth straight game with a sore oblique.
UP NEXT
Chicago's James Shields (5-16, 5.86), who was 0-4 with a 11.42 ERA in August, but allowed just two earned runs in six innings Monday against Detroit, is to face Minnesota's Hector Santiago (10-8, 4.93) Saturday. Santiago threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings Monday in Cleveland after going 0-4 with a 10.89 ERA in his first four starts with the Twins.