Giolito pitches well, but Twins outlast White Sox in 13 innings

It was a wild beginning, and a wild ending.

In between, the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins played to a near standstill at Guaranteed Rate Field.

In a game that ran nearly 5 hours, the Twins emerged with a 2-1 win after Max Kepler drew a bases-loaded walk against Hector Santiago with two outs in the 13th inning.

Sox pinch-hitter Daniel Palka drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings.

"This was a good ballgame," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "When I went into the clubhouse I said, 'Hey, well fought.' They didn't quit. We just didn't get that timely hit when we needed it."

Lucas Giolito was guilty of being wild at the beginning of the game.

The Sox's starting pitcher walked the bases loaded but worked out of the jam by getting Ehire Adrianza to pop out to shortstop Tim Anderson.

"The first inning was a little interesting," Giolito said. "Honestly, I just didn't have my rhythm there until the last batter of the inning. I started to get my rhythm going and from there, just worked well with Smitty (catcher Kevan Smith). They put a lot of balls in play, the defense was great behind me, a few really nice plays.

"I just did a pretty good job of filling the strike zone after that first inning."

Giolito was doing good enough to have a no-hitter going until Eddie Rosario doubled with one out in the sixth inning.

"I wasn't really paying attention to it because it was still early in the game," Giolito said. "I probably would have been more aware of it if I would have taken it to the seventh or eighth or something like that."

The right-hander's lone blemish came in the seventh, when Logan Morrison led off with a home run. Giolito pitched 6⅓ innings and allowed 1 run on 4 hits and 4 walks.

"Just keep building," he said. "I'm starting to throw the ball a lot better; I feel like it's coming better out of my hand. Just take some good lessons from today. In the seventh inning, I kind of let some pitches get away from me there, I wasn't executing like I was earlier in the game.

"Kind of learn from that and in the next one make sure I have that same intent with every pitch, no matter how deep in the game I am."

Anderson ejected:

Tim Anderson was ruled safe stealing second base in the 11th inning, until he was ruled out.

Second-base umpire Gerry Davis initially thought a sliding Anderson touched the bag before the tag, but a replay determined he got Ehire Adrianza's shoe.

Anderson was upset when the ruling was overturned and he was tossed after yelling about the call and slamming his helmet.

"I kind of said some bad words," Anderson said. "I got thrown out twice in less than five minutes. But things happened. I was frustrated."

Star power:

Two pitchers from Class AAA Charlotte, starter Donn Roach and reliever Thyago Vieira, were named to the International League all-star team.

Missing the cut was Michael Kopech, the White Sox's top pitching prospect. The right-hander is 3-5 with a 4.66 ERA in 15 starts with Charlotte. Kopech also has 97 strikeouts in 73⅓ innings.

Roach, who pitched in Korea last year, is 8-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) with the Knights.

Vieira, acquired in a November trade from the Mariners for international signing pool money, has 43 strikeouts in 31⅔ innings and has allowed just 2 earned runs over his last 11⅔ innings.

The Sox's farm system produced 21 minor-league all-stars this season, including seven from Class AA Birmingham, five from high A Winston-Salem and seven from low A Kannapolis.