MINNEAPOLIS — The Chicago White Sox hadn’t had a hit since the first inning, with Minnesota Twins pitchers retiring 24 consecutive batters entering the ninth.
Luis Robert Jr. put an end to that stretch in dramatic fashion Tuesday at Target Field, hitting a game-tying homer on Jhoan Duran’s first pitch.
The homer — and an impressive relay in the bottom of the inning involving Oscar Colás and Romy Gonzalez — sent the game to extra innings.
But the Twins scored on a defensive miscue in the bottom of the 10th and beat the Sox 4-3 in front of 16,153.
Michael A. Taylor bunted on the first pitch of the 10th, and third baseman Hanser Alberto threw wildly to first. Pinch runner Willi Castro scored from second on the sequence to spoil the Sox’s chance at getting back to .500.
“That was a bad, bad throw,” Alberto said. “It was a completely bad throw, right to the runner. I threw a little bit sidearm, and that’s why the ball ran into the runner. It was the game.”
Sox manager Pedro Grifol hadn’t had a chance to get a closer look at the final play before meeting with reporters but added, “I know that it didn’t work out in our favor, that’s for sure.”
The majority of the game wasn’t going the Sox’s way.
Andrew Vaughn drove in two runs with a double in the first, the Sox’s third hit of the inning. They didn’t get another hit until Robert’s homer.
“At the end of the day, runners in scoring position got us today,” Grifol said. “I know this game’s really hard. I know those guys are really good too. At the end of the day, we’ve got to drive guys in with runners in scoring position.”
After the shaky start, Twins starter Pablo López retired the final 23 batters he faced.
“He was pinpointing his pitches,” Robert said through an interpreter.
The right-hander allowed two runs on three hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk in 7⅔ innings.
“He’s a good pitcher, but we’ve got to beat those types of pitchers,” Grifol said. “Plain and simple.”
Sox starter Lance Lynn had a solid outing as well, allowing three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. He gave up a two-run homer to Byron Buxton in the first and a solo homer to Taylor in the second.
“When you get two in the first and you turn around and give it right back, that’s when you kind of kill the momentum,” Lynn said. “I gave up another one in the third and kind of just stopped our momentum offensively. I was able to right the ship, but when you get two in the first, you’ve got to get back in there with a zero.
“(López) throws a bunch of pitches (in the first) and I’ve got to have a quick inning and I didn’t. I had a long inning, I give the lead right back and it was tied. That one is on me.”
The Sox trailed 3-2 in the ninth when Robert connected for his fifth homer of the season. He said he was just reacting to the first-pitch curveball.
“Right man, right spot,” Grifol said. “Got a good pitch to hit and does what he does. Special talent. This guy’s one of the best players in the game.”
Christian Vázquez looked to start a rally in the Twins’ half of the ninth, hitting the ball to the right-center gap. The right fielder Colás made a great throw to the second baseman Gonzalez, who in turn made a tremendous throw to get Vázquez at third to end the inning.
“That was great by Oscar, (the) throw and then Romy,” Alberto said. “That’s how we should play the game — hard and and smart.”
It took one pitch in the 10th for the momentum — and the game — to go the Twins’ way.
“That was a regular play, so I should make that one easier,” Alberto said. “Unfortunately I made a bad throw and I saw the ball, it was a bit to the pitcher (reliever Jesse Scholtens), but everything is on me. Continue to keep my head up and get ready for tomorrow.”
