CHICAGO– Brooks Lee and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back homers and Ryan Jeffers added the go-ahead RBI as the Minnesota Twins split a doubleheader with Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Jeffers brought home Byron Buxton in the seventh to break a 2-2 tie and give the Twins the lead for good. They have won nine of 10 against their AL Central rivals this season.
Martín Maldonado was honored by Chicago, who won the first game 3-1, ending a three-game skid.
The Twins erased a two-run deficit in the sixth inning when Lee hit former Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo teammate Drew Thorpe five pitches before All-Star Correa extended his hitting streak to a dozen games with a deep blast in the right-field seats.
Jeffers singled off Michael Soroka (0-10) an inning later to bring home Byron Buxton. Steven Okert (3-0), the first of the Twins’ four relievers, got the win. Jhoan Duran made his 14th save after working his ninth.
Thorpe worked the first six innings for Chicago, allowing three hits with one walk, one strikeout and both of Minnesota’s home runs.
Pablo López gave up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five in the first five for the Twins, who were 11 of 15.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a two-run homer and Michael Kopech pitched Chicago’s first immaculate inning in more than a century in the opener.
Erick Fedde (7-3) threw five scoreless innings and the bullpen held on to end a nine-game losing streak for the Twins that began last season.
Matt Wallner was honored by Minnesota, which saw a three-game winning streak end.
Bailey Ober (8-5) faced the minimum through four innings — his lone walk was nullified by a double play — but Gavin Sheets led off the fifth with a double and later came home on a Paul DeJong sacrifice fly. Andrew Vaughn doubled in the sixth and scored four pitches later as Robert sent his 11th home run into the center field bleachers.
“That went right down his bat path,” Ober said of Robert’s big hit. “That was the biggest mistake I made.”
Wallner connected with Jordan Leasure in the seventh to end Chicago’s shutout drive.
Kopech, the last of four White Sox relievers, threw a nine-pitch, three-strike ninth for his ninth save. It was the first performance of its kind in the majors this season and Chicago’s first since Sloppy Thurston was flawless in August 1923.
“I didn’t expect it to be like this, but it was really fun,” Kopech said.
Ober, who has won three of his last four starts, surrendered four hits and walked one while striking out five in the first six innings.
Fedde allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two in five scoreless innings.
The teams played two matches after Tuesday night’s clash was postponed due to persistent rain.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: RHP Brock Stewart (shoulder tendinitis) made an inning Tuesday night in his first rehab start at Triple-A St. He has been on the 60-day injured list since May 2. … Added RHP David Festa as the 27th man of the doubleheader.
White Sox: Tabbed LHP Jake Eder as their 27th man.
NEXT
Twins: RHP Joe Ryan (6-5, 3.29 ERA) will start the series opener Friday night in San Francisco. The Giants have yet to name a starter.
White Sox: LHP Garrett Crochet (6-6, 3.08) takes the mound Friday night to start a weekend series against visiting Pittsburgh.
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