After a nearly two-hour rain it was another disappointing night for the Twins as they blew a lead and lost 8-4 to the White Sox in the opening game of a series in Chicago Tuesday night.
Brian Dozier and Ehire Adrianza hit early homers to give the Twins a 2-0 lead, but Chicago quickly tied the score 2-2 in the third on an RBI triple from Yoan Moncada and an RBI groundout off the bat of Yolmer Sanchez.
A sac fly from Joe Mauer and an RBI single from Adrianza put the Twins back on top in the fifth, and all the while Lance Lynn was cruising with eight strikeouts through five innings on the mound.
But Lynn got into trouble in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out, prompting manager Paul Molitor to bring in Ryan Pressly from the bullpen.
Afterward, Lynn questioned Molitor’s decision.
“You give up three hits and nothing’s hard, and then you get taken out of the inning and don’t get a chance to finish it, especially with 8-9 [in the batting order] up,” Lynn said, via TwinsBaseball.com.
“It’s frustrating, especially with the way things had been going all night. I had eight strikeouts in five and you’ve got 8-9 up, bases are loaded, even though it’s been kind of a funky inning, you want to have that chance. But with the way things had unfolded that inning, you get it. We’re trying to win the game.”
Molitor’s decision didn’t pay off.
Pressly walked in a run and then was relieved by Taylor Rogers, who induced a pop out but then gave up a two-run single after filling the count to Sanchez.
Just like that the White Sox were on top 5-4.
Chicago added another run in the seventh and two more in the eighth and the final 15 Twins batters were sent down in order to finish the game.
Fortunately, Cleveland also lost so the Twins remain 7 1/2 games back in the American League Central race.
