Dunning defeats Dobnak, Sox win, 6-2

The wily rookie was supported by another prodigious night from the offense

CHICAGO — White Sox hitters showed great discipline against Randy Dobnak on Tuesday, forcing him to throw 31 pitches in the first inning alone. Defensive shifts also worked against the Twins, accounting for two singles, the second leading to a two-out RBI for Eloy Jiménez, who leads the majors with 22. James McCann was a force in his return to the starting lineup, with an RBI double and a solo home run. Luis Robert also joined in on the fun, breaking out of his slump with a two-RBI single and then steals of second and third back-to-back.

Meanwhile, Byron Buxton continued to be the thorn in Chicago's side, this time hitting an inside-the-park home run for real, as Robert's mistimed jump into the wall led to an outfield scramble. 

Dane Dunning had a great outing overall, using his sinker to a devastating effect and hurting every hitter's timing except Buxton's. When needed, he also delivered some big strikeouts, including a critical punch-out of Miguel Sanó in the fourth with runners on base. As the game went on, Dunning's command improved, and he found his groove in the latter half of the game, finishing with seven strong innings and seven strikeouts, two walks, and two runs (one earned). Jace Fry struck out all four Twins hitters he faced, before Matt Foster came in to get the game's final two outs.

The Twins' struggles boiled to frustration over the strike zone, with manager Rocco Baldelli and DH Nelson Cruz finally getting ejected in the seventh inning. Moreover, none of the Twins players (save for Buxton) responded well to the playoff-like atmosphere permeating this game — nor did the team show the grit they typically display after losing the night before. Instead, the Sox outplayed the Twins in every aspect of the game and cruised to a 6-2 victory.

On Deck

The Sox bring ace Lucas Giolito (4-2, 3.43 ERA) to the mound tomorrow night, against Minnesota's TBD.