CHICAGO (AP) - Brian Dozier did just about everything he wanted to do. All that was missing was a double in his final at-bat to complete the cycle.
Dozier broke out of his slump in a big way, Eduardo Escobar homered twice and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Friday night.
Dozier got dropped from the leadoff spot to second in the order, then broke out of a 3-for-42 slide. He tripled in the first, homered leading off the third and singled in the seventh before hitting a fly to center in the ninth.
“I really wasn’t thinking too much about it,” Dozier said. “Then (Eddie) Rosario came up to me as I’m going on deck. He said, ’Hey, you gonna hit a double?’ And I said, ’Yeah, man, I guess.’ It wasn’t carrying to right, that last one. I choked.”
Logan Morrison homered in his second straight game , and the Twins picked up the win after dropping four of five.
Escobar connected leading off a two-run second and hit back-to-back solo drives with Morrison in a three-run third against Carson Fulmer. He added an RBI double in the fifth, making it 6-4.
Jose Berrios (3-3) bounced back somewhat after getting knocked around in losses to the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander gave up four runs and six hits over six innings for his first win since he dominated the White Sox at home on April 12.
Fernando Rodney worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save in seven chances.
Jose Abreu had a two-run homer in the first and finished with three hits for Chicago. Leury Garcia added a solo shot in the fourth.
Yolmer Sanchez had three hits and two runs, but Matt Davidson had a rough day at the plate, leaving the bases loaded two times. He grounded out in the fifth and struck out in the seventh.
The White Sox fell to 9-21 in their worst start since the 1950 team dropped 22 of its first 30 games.
Fulmer (2-2) got hit hard coming off dominant starts in wins over Seattle and Kansas City. The right-hander gave up season highs in runs (five), hits (seven) and homers (four) over 3 2/3 innings.
“I just missed some spots and when you miss some spots to a lineup like that, you’re gonna definitely pay for it,” he said. “I did a good job of getting ahead for the most part, but like I said, I missed a spot when I wanted to make a pitch and to a talented lineup like that you’re gonna get hit around a little.”
MINAYA OPTIONED
The White Sox optioned right-hander Juan Minaya to Triple-A Charlotte and recalled lefty Jace Fry from the minor league club.
Minaya has a 10.80 ERA in five appearances over two stints with the White Sox this season. Fry had a 10.80 ERA in 11 games for Chicago last season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: CF Byron Buxton said he hopes to return from a hairline fracture in his left big toe in the next few days. He has been taking batting practice and running, though he is having trouble changing directions.
White Sox: 2B Yoan Moncada left in the fifth inning because of tightness in his left hamstring and said he might need a few days off to let it heal. He walked with one out and got lifted for a pinch runner after he retreated gingerly to first on Yolmer Sanchez’s fly to center. Moncada sat out Thursday’s game against Minnesota because of tightness in the hamstring as well as a sore right foot. … C Welington Castillo (lower abdominal pain) was out of the lineup for the third straight day. “I’m just giving him one more day,” manager Rick Renteria said.
UP NEXT
Twins: RHP Lance Lynn (0-3, 8.37 ERA) hopes to start pitching the way the Twins envisioned when they signed him in March. Lynn has struggled through five starts after five straight seasons with 11 or more wins for St. Louis.
White Sox: LHP Hector Santiago (0-0, 3.48) makes his ninth appearance and second start. The White Sox have used Santiago and Chris Volstad in the fifth spot with Miguel Gonzalez sidelined because of an inflamed right rotator cuff.
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