Twins Power Up with Buxton and Larnach's Homers to Defeat White Sox 6-3
In an exciting matchup on Wednesday night, Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach propelled the Minnesota Twins to a 6-3 victory against the struggling Chicago White Sox, who currently sit at the bottom of the league standings.
Larnach made his mark with a solo home run in the sixth inning, marking his second homer in as many games, which brought the score to 4-3. Buxton followed suit with a powerful two-run homer in the seventh, solidifying Minnesota's lead and securing their second consecutive win in the series.
The White Sox managed to score all three of their runs in the fifth inning, with one run coming from a wild pitch and another due to an error by second baseman Luke Keaschall. However, the Twins quickly responded, tying the game in the bottom of the fifth with a sharp single from Brooks Lee that drove in Ty France.
Twins starter David Festa had a rough outing, being pulled after just two batters in the fifth inning. This marked the third consecutive start where the right-hander failed to complete five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, marking the first runs he has given up this season.
Justin Topa (1-1) earned the win after pitching a solid sixth inning, while Danny Coulombe closed out the game in the ninth, earning his first save of the season.
On the other side, Chicago's Bryse Wilson made his first start of the year after previously appearing in relief. He was removed after 55 pitches, having given up just one run on five hits over 2 2/3 innings. Jordan Leasure (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Buxton, who had a tough start to the game going 0-4 with three strikeouts, redeemed himself by launching a 414-foot homer off Cam Booser in the seventh inning, extending the Twins' lead to 6-3.
In a notable performance, Keaschall stole two bases during the game, bringing his total to five stolen bases in his first five career games, tying an MLB record for the most steals in that span.
Looking ahead, the White Sox will send right-hander Shane Smith (0-1, 2.82 ERA) to the mound in hopes of salvaging a win in the series. The Twins will counter with Chris Paddack (0-2, 7.27), who is coming off his best start of the season in a no-decision.
