White Sox collapse late in 8-6 loss to Twins
CHICAGO - Adam Eaton admitted he made a bad mistake trying to stretch a single into a double in the eighth inning of a one-run game.
Alejandro De Aza said he should have caught a liner that fell for a two-run double.
The Chicago White Sox made mistakes in the field and on the base paths, and their bullpen struggled again in an 8-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.
Trevor Plouffe got four hits and the Twins stopped Jose Abreu to end a three-game skid.
Abreu's hitting streak ended at 21 games, longest in the AL this season. He went 0 for 3 with two walks, one of them intentional. The Cuban rookie, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, had reached base in 10 straight plate appearances before he popped up in the first inning.
"Thank God," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Move the ball in and out. We pitched around him a couple times in situations."
Ryan Pressly (1-0) won and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.
Eaton tried to stretch a single into a double but was thrown out from left field, stranding the tying run at third in the eighth. He had three doubles and a single.
"Stupid on my part," Eaton said. "I need to pick up the ball better. I saw it go off his glove and kind of thought it bounced a different direction. I thought it went toward more the warning track. That's ignorant on my part. That's stupid, unbelievable how dumb that was."
De Aza also owned up to his mistake. Oswaldo Arcia was credited with a two-run double in the eighth, giving the Twins a 7-6 lead, when his liner glanced off the glove of De Aza in left.
"I should make that play," De Aza said.
In the series opener Friday, Chicago scored four runs in the eighth for a 10-8 win. This time, the Twins got three in the eighth and Danny Santana added a solo homer in the ninth.
Ronald Belisario (4-8) allowed three runs in the eighth when the Twins took a 7-6 lead. He gave up a single, hit a batter and allowed an RBI single before Jake Petricka replaced him.
"There's nights he looks a lot better," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Anytime you hit somebody, you get in that situation, rough night."
Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox.
ON DECK
In the finale of the three-game series Sunday, Minnesota starts right-hander Kyle Gibson (9-8, 3.94) vs. left-hander Jose Quintana (6-7, 3.15).
GROUND COVERED
Gardenhire joked before the game about employing a new strategy to contain Abreu: ''We're thinking about trying to slip in a few more defenders in the outfield.
"He's on everything. Inside, outside. We've tried everything," Gardenhire said. "We've thrown breaking balls, we've bounced balls.
"The young man is a nice hitter. He's comfortable right now, he's swinging very good and you got to try to keep mixing it up. You can't get into patterns on him."