Twins find more eighth-inning magic in victory over White Sox

Bailey Ober delivered a strong start, allowing just two hits in seven innings.

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Target Field in Minneapolis on Aug. 3, 2024. / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

For the second day in a row, the Twins broke open a tight game in the eighth inning, plating three runs in the frame in a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox Saturday night at Target Field in Minneapolis.

With a 3-2 lead and two outs in the eighth inning, Willi Castro battled through a 13-pitch at-bat, eventually hitting a two-RBI single that gave the Twins some extra breathing room late.

"It was a great at-bat," Twins starter Bailey Ober said. "Huge, clutch runs right there to give us a little bit extra lead. That's an incredible at-bat. He's just one of those guys that can do that. Pretty special."

Austin Martin singled the next at-bat before Brooks Lee brought Castro home with an RBI single.

With a four-run lead, Jhoan Duran sent the White Sox down in order in the ninth inning to close out the game and extend the White Sox's franchise-record losing streak to a whopping 19 games.

Max Kepler plated the go-ahead run, hitting a solo homer in the seventh inning that broke the 2-2 tie and ignited the crowd of 38,289 at Target Field. Kepler, who exited Wednesday's game after getting hit in the head on a throw to second base, entered the game in the fifth inning for Manny Margot.

"The (Kepler) home run is a very important run there, too," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "We had several moments like that. ... There was a lot of work that went into winning that game."

The White Sox (27-86) were only able to string together two hits off Ober, however, both plated game-tying runs. Korey Lee hit an RBI triple to left field in the fifth inning to provide Chicago's first hit of the day and knot the game at 1-1, and Brooks Baldwin hit a solo homer in the sixth that tied it 2-2.

Ober fanned seven while allowing just the two runs and two hits in his seven-inning start. 

Ober improved to 11-5 on the season after picking up the win.

"I was a little all over the place more than normal (Saturday)," Ober said. "So I just try to stay positive and have positive self talk out there and really just try to get locked back in. I felt like every inning was kind of grinding through even though I had some fast ones. ... But overall it was a good outing."

Ryan Jeffers put the Twins (61-48) ahead 1-0 with a solo homer in the second inning, his 16th of the season, off a cutter from White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, whose outing lasted just four innings.

Touki Toussaint, who gave up the homer to Kepler, was issued the loss.

Jeffers went 2 for 3 overall with the RBI, a walk and a run scored. Jeffers scored on Castro's two-RBI single in the eighth after reaching on a single of his own the previous at-bat.

Martin led off the fifth inning with a triple, and Lee followed up with a single the next at-bat to bring him home for a 2-1 Twins lead.

The Twins and White Sox meet for the finale of their three-game series at 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.