Santiago beats former team, Twins top White Sox 7-2

CHICAGO (AP) - Hector Santiago expected his phone to be buzzing after this one.

The left-hander beat his former team once again, Byron Buxton tied a career high with three hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Santiago (4-1) allowed two runs, three hits and five walks over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and dropped his ERA to 2.76. The left-hander is 5-1 with a 1.59 ERA against the White Sox, who drafted him in the 30th round in 2006 and traded him in 2013 to the Los Angeles Angels.

"I'll have some texts here in a few minutes from those guys saying, 'Stop putting it on us,' for sure," Santiago said. "This is where I grew up in baseball and this is where I got my first chance, my first opportunity. I respect this organization, I love them. But if I can go out there and beat them every time, that's my goal."

Buxton upped his average to a season-high .188 and Kennys Vargas homered for the second straight game for the Twins, who were without the injured Brian Dozier and the suspended Miguel Sano.

"I was kind of questioning my lineup for the first few innings," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "But everyone had a hand in the win somewhere along the way."

Chicago scored twice in the third inning but did not have another hit until two outs in the ninth. Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers closed out Minnesota's four-hitter.

"I thought we were on track for maybe a decent game against Santiago," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We hadn't scored a couple runs off him in a long time, maybe ever. Obviously, they did some damage and came back and answered with a few runs."

Minnesota scored the final seven runs, boosted by Vargas' homer in the fourth inning and four runs in the sixth.

Mike Pelfrey (0-3) also faced his former team and gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings. He retired his first eight batters, and Tyler Saladino and Jose Abreu had RBI singles to give him a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

It was all Minnesota from there.

In the fourth inning, Max Kepler scored Jorge Polanco with an RBI single to make it 2-1. The next batter was Vargas, who hit his fourth home run of the season to right field.

The Twins broke it open in the sixth when Ehire Adrianza scored two with a single and Buxton and Joe Mauer scored one apiece with singles as the lead grew to 6-2.

Santiago walked his final two batters in the seventh inning, but Duffey struck out Saladino to end the rally.

NO SANO

The Twins were without their slugger Sano, who was serving a one-game suspension for his actions during an April 22 scrap against Detroit.

FAMILY TIE

Santiago's brother, Anthony Santiago, is the first-base coach for Chicago's Triple-A club in Charlotte.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Dozier (sprained left ankle) was available off the bench after a two-game absence. "I didn't want to be influenced by Sano's absence to try to force him back in there," Molitor said. "It's still kind of a high risk." ... LHP Glen Perkins used his full repertoire in a bullpen session before the game. The veteran will take part in at least one more workout before he is re-evaluated. There was no timetable for his return.

White Sox: Before the game, general manager Rick Hahn said LHP Carlos Rodon is in Arizona and progressing in his recovery from bursitis in his left biceps. Hahn said Rodon has been pitching off the mound but did not give a timetable for when he might throw a simulated game or rehab assignment. He has not pitched this season, and the earliest he could be recalled from the 60-day disabled list is May 29. ... C Geovany Soto was a late scratch from the starting lineup with a sore right elbow, which caused him to be on the DL in April.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Phil Hughes (4-1, 4.32 ERA) will take the mound for the second game of a three-game series.

White Sox: LHP Derek Holland (3-2, 2.02) will try for his sixth quality start in his seventh game of the season.

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