Kepler has 3 RBIs in return from injured list, Twins blank White Sox
MINNEAPOLIS — Max Kepler had two hits and three RBIs in his return from the injured list and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-0 on Monday night.
Chris Paddack struck out 10 in seven innings to win as a starter for the first time in nearly two years. Edouard Julien homered among his three hits for Minnesota.
Blanked for the eighth time this season and once in each series, Chicago has lost 10 of 11. Danny Mendick had two hits, and Gavin Sheets and manager Pedro Grifol were ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the eighth inning.
Paddack (1-1) scattered just six hits and walked none for his first win as a starter since May 2, 2022. The right-hander underwent his second Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter and did not return until late last season, getting a win in relief Sept. 30.
It was nice bounce back for Paddack, who was lit up for nine runs on 12 hits — both career highs — in 5 1-3 innings last Tuesday in Baltimore.
Making his second career start, Chicago’s Jonathan Cannon (0-1) allowed nine hits and six earned runs in 3 2-3 innings. He held Kansas City to one run on three hits over five innings April 17.
Activated off the injured list, Kepler, who missed the past 13 games with a right knee contusion and had just one hit in his first 20 at-bats this season, lined the first pitch he saw to right-centerfield for a two-run double in the first.
Kepler added an RBI single in the third to score Trevor Larnach, who laced an RBI double to the wall. Kepler scored on a double by Willi Castro to make it 5-0.
Minnesota entered the night hitting an MLB-worst .135 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 16 the past two games. It finished 2 for 6.
Three straight one-out singles in the fourth amounted to no runs for Chicago, which has scored an MLB-worst 45 runs this year. Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff snared a liner from Andrew Vaughn and Paul DeJong struck out on three pitches.
Mendick, who has homered in five straight games for Triple-A Charlotte, was recalled, and right-hander John Brebbia was activated off the 15-day injured list. Infielder Lenyn Sosa and right-hander Nick Nastrini were optioned to Charlotte. Infielder Zach Remillard was designated for assignment.
Tuesdays’ second game of the four-game set has Chicago’s RHP Erick Fedde (1-0, 3.10) and Minnesota’s Pablo López (1-2, 3.97) as the scheduled starters.