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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Daryl Van Schouwen

White Sox win third game in row, claim first series victory

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Gregory Santos reacts after pitching out of a jam by striking out Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Larnach with the bases loaded for the third out in the seventh inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, in Chicago. (AP) (AP Photos)

It took 10 tries, but the White Sox finally got one.

A series victory.

In defeating the American League Central-leading Twins 6-4 on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Sox (10-21) built their season-high winning streak to three games after a 10-game losing streak. They’ll go for a series sweep Thursday.

Eloy Jimenez broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single in the seventh, and pinch runner Billy Hamilton scored from second on Elvis Andrus’ grounder to the middle of the infield for an insurance run in the eighth.

‘‘He’s electric,’’ manager Pedro Grifol said of Hamilton, whom the Sox recalled Monday from Triple-A Charlotte.

Keynan Middleton pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th career save and his first with the Sox. Middleton walked one but struck out the side.

‘‘He loves to be on the mound in leverage situations,’’ Grifol said.

After Luis Robert Jr. hit a three-run home run against Louie Varland in the first to give Sox right-hander Dylan Cease a nice cushion, it disappeared when the Twins’ Carlos Correa doubled in two runs and scored on a double by Byron Buxton in the third.

Nick Gordon gave the Twins a 4-3 lead with his second homer in two games in the fourth, but the Sox tied the score in the bottom of the inning when Tim Anderson singled home Gavin Sheets. Yasmani Grandal also tried to score on Anderson’s hit, but he was out standing up on a bad send by third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez. Anderson had three hits and a walk.

After right-hander Gregory Santos escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh by getting two forceouts at home and striking out Trevor Larnach, Jimenez singled home Andrew Benintendi in the bottom half to give the Sox a 5-4 lead.

Cease (4.58 ERA) lasted only five innings, allowing four runs, five hits and four walks and striking out six. He threw 98 pitches.

‘‘It wasn’t good, but it was good enough,’’ Cease said. ‘‘I didn’t have a great feel and didn’t have a good rhythm. Too much inconsistency.’’

Middleton: Correa a cheater

Middleton, who had numerous AL West battles against the Astros during his time with the Angels in 2017-18, struck out former Astros star Correa to end the game.

‘‘I knew I was going to face Correa, and I don’t like him,’’ Middleton said. ‘‘I enjoyed that.’’

You don’t like him?

‘‘I mean, he’s a cheater,’’ Middleton said, referring to Correa being part of the Astros’ cheating scandal during the 2017 season.

Burger leaves with discomfort in side

Third baseman Jake Burger left the game with discomfort in his left side after striking out looking in the fourth. Burger felt something while checking his swing and will be evaluated further, the Sox said. He might be dealing with an oblique issue.

‘‘Weird pitch, weird swing,’’ Burger said.

Burger, who has filled in at third for injured Yoan Moncada, is batting .224 with a team-high seven homers.

Moncada won’t be rushed back

Burger’s issue heightens the Moncada watch. His work is intensifying, and he is closer to going on a rehab assignment after being on the injured list since April 14.

The switch-hitting Moncada, who has been slowed by a protruding disk in his lower back, still feels slight discomfort while swinging right-handed.

‘‘He’s doing pretty good,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘I mean, really good. The one thing I don’t want to do here is rush this thing just to get him here.’’

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