Plouffe Slam, 5 RBIs, Twins Rout White Sox For 4-Game Sweep
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Plouffe hit his first grand slam in the majors and drove in career-high five runs, powering the Minnesota Twins past the Chicago White Sox 13-3 Sunday for a four-game sweep.
Brian Dozier added a career-high four hits as the Twins won for the seventh time in nine games.
Avisail Garcia had three hits for Chicago, which has lost five straight and been outscored 39-10 in those games.
Ryan Pressly (1-0) pitched 2 2-3 innings of hitless relief. Starter Mike Pelfrey allowed five hits and two earned runs in 3 1-3 innings, hitting three batters and walking two.
John Danks (1-3) lasted just 2 1-3 innings and gave up seven runs — three earned — and eight hits. He also made two errors.
It was scoreless until Minnesota broke away by scoring seven runs in the third.
With runners on first and second, Danks couldn't handle a throw from Adam LaRoche while covering first base for an error. Plouffe then cleared the bases with his slam, a drive into the seats in left-center field for his second home run in as many days.
Danny Santana added a two-run single past LaRoche and Dozier had an RBI single to make it 7-0.
Struggling with his control in the fourth, Pelfrey loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a hit and a hit batter. With one out, Geovany Soto and Micah Johnson were each hit by pitches, finishing Pelfrey.
Plouffe, Oswaldo Arcia and Chris Herrmann had RBI singles in the fourth to make it 10-2.
Kennys Vargas homered in the Twins sixth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: An illness continues to infiltrate the Chicago clubhouse. OF Adam Eaton has missed three straight games and was sent home Saturday. "Hopefully, he'll be ready to go Tuesday," manager Robin Ventura said. "Tyler (Flowers) has that and (Adam) LaRoche had it a little bit yesterday." Flowers, a catcher, did not play Sunday and LaRoche started at first base but was removed in the fifth inning.
Twins: OF Oswaldo Arcia left the game in the fourth inning with right hip irritation. He is considered day to day.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Chicago is off Monday before opening a six-game homestand Tuesday against Detroit. Jeff Samardzija (1-2, 4.78), who allowed eight runs over five innings at Baltimore last Wednesday when no fans were present, is scheduled to start Tuesday against Shane Greene (3-1, 4.60).
Twins: Phil Hughes (0-4, 4.55) is scheduled to get the ball Monday when Minnesota opens a four-game home series against Oakland on a night the team is giving away Hughes bobbleheads. The right-hander left is last start on Wednesday with a left hip flexor. The A's are scheduled to start Jesse Hahn (1-1, 2.86).
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