MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - With three Garcias behind him in the outfield and Matt Davidson getting his back at the plate, Dylan Covey’s big league debut was a memorable one.
Covey pitched one-run ball into the sixth inning and Davidson homered in the seventh to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
Covey allowed five hits, walked three and struck out one in 5 1/3 innings. Davidson’s third homer of the year reached the upper deck in right field off Ryan Pressly (0-1), and David Robertson picked up his second save.
Dan Jennings (1-0) pitched one inning of scoreless relief.
The White Sox selected Covey in the Rule 5 draft from Oakland, the culmination of a winding road to the majors. He was a first-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010, but did not sign and then was picked by the Athletics in the fourth round in 2013.
The only run he allowed came on a groundout from Jason Castro in the second inning.
“I was excited. I was nervous. Just thankful we got the win,” Covey said. “I had some jitters in the first inning but I was able to calm down after that. I just threw as many strikes as I could and let the defense work behind me, which they did.”
It was a historic defense, you could say.
The White Sox became the first team to start three players with the same last name in the outfield. Avisail Garcia, who had two hits to extend his season-opening hitting streak to nine games, started in right field and Leury Garcia was in center. Willy Garcia, who also made his big league debut, started in left field.
“The experience in and of itself, I hate to say it, unless you’ve lived it it’s hard to describe,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “But it’s a culmination of all those things you dream about when you’re a kid and then you get there and you get an opportunity, it’s a pretty special moment.”
The hard-throwing Pressly had not given up a run in three appearances this season, with many in the Twins organization seeing him as a future closer. But Davidson got hold of a slider, sending his third homer of the year sailing into the seats in right field.
“I was just trying to keep it in the zone, trying to get a good strike to swing at,” Davidson said. “He threw one in there and I got it.”
Adalberto Mejia gave up one run and four hits in five innings for the Twins. Brian Dozier had two hits.
“Just not enough offense today,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: Todd Frazier returned to the lineup at DH after missing the previous two games with an illness. Renteria said he wanted to ease Frazier back in as the DH before getting him some time back at 3B later this weekend.
DELAYED START
The start of the game was held up 36 minutes by rain. Steady showers fell again in the second and third innings, but the teams were able to keep playing.
While the crowd waited for the game to begin, the Twins showed Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinals series between the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues on the big screen.
TOUGH BREAK
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has been sensational in the field but has struggled mightily at the plate. He is hitting .081 with a league-leading 20 strikeouts. He hit a line drive in the second inning off Covey that appeared headed down the left-field line for extra bases. But the ball drilled third base umpire Todd Tichenor and fell foul, taking the hit away. Buxton struck out swinging after that and went 0 for 3.
UP NEXT
The Twins send RHP Ervin Santana (2-0, 0.69 ERA) to the mound to face White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (0-2, 6.17 ERA) in the second of a three-game series. Santana ranks fifth in the American League in ERA, with just one run allowed in his first two starts. Quintana is holding opponents to a .222 batting average, but has given up eight runs in 11 2/3 innings.
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