White Sox topple Twins in Game 1, 5-1
The White Sox are close to being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, so there's not much left to play for over the final two weeks of the season.
Staying out of the AL Central cellar is the obvious goal, and the Sox gave themselves a little more breathing room Saturday with a 5-1 win over the Twins in Game 1 of a doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field.
The fourth-place White Sox (67-80) are now 5 games ahead of last-place Minnesota after winning for the fourth time in five games.
The Sox took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on Alexi Ramirez's 2-run homer off Twins starter Phil Hughes (15-10).
Andy Wilkins made it 3-0 when he picked up his first major-league RBI with a single in the seventh inning.
After Minnesota scored a run in the eighth on Chris Parmelee's run-scoring double off White Sox starter Jose Quintana, Marcus Semien doubled home Ramirez in the bottom of the eighth and Tyler Flowers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Quintana (8-10) pitched 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits to get the win. The left-hander's 13 strikeouts were a career high.