The Minnesota Twins were three outs away from a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Monday but had to settle for a split after allowing four home runs in the two games.
The afternoon got off to a solid start in Game 1 in large part due to the performance of Griffin Jax. The right-hander allowed one hit over four innings but it left the ballpark when Tim Anderson hit a solo home run in the third inning.
Lance Lynn silenced the Twins bats for most of the opener but Nelson Cruz got to him in the sixth inning with a solo homer that tied the game at 1-1.
That led the game into extra innings where Cruz broke the tie with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth. After Jorge Polanco added an RBI single, Jose Abreu made things interesting with an RBI double off Hansel Robles but the Twins were able to close it out for a 3-2 victory.
The nightcap was highlighted by the return of Mitch Garver, who had been on the injured list since June 2 with a groin contusion. The Twins catcher smashed a pair of home runs in his return including a third-inning home run that gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead.
RETURN OF THE GARV SAUCE!!!#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/ooH7UVwwPK
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) July 20, 2021
Garver struck again in the top of the fifth with his 10th home run of the season to back a dominant outing from José Berríos.
MITCH GARVER DOES IT AGAIN!!!#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/FSYJ2YmX3q
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) July 20, 2021
With trade rumors swirling, Berríos cruised through the first six innings, holding the White Sox to just two hits and striking out eight. But both those hits left the park with Abreu and Yoan Moancada hitting solo home runs to make it a 3-2 game.
Rocco Baldelli let Berríos go for the complete game in the seventh but things snowballed with a leadoff single from Brian Goodwin and Andrew Vaughn getting hit by a pitch.
With the go-ahead run in scoring position, Sheets drove everybody home with a three-run blast that gave Chicago a 5-3 victory.
Gavin Sheets sends everyone home! pic.twitter.com/ieaEIE5e9M
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 20, 2021
The Twins will look to rebound in the third game of the series when they send Bailey Ober to the mound against Dallas Keuchel for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.
