Sale Tagged For Career-High 9 Runs In 12-2 Loss To Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale breezed through his first meeting with Minnesota on April 12 and most of the 16 appearances against them that came before it. Thursday's rematch wasn't so smooth.
Sale gave up a career-high nine runs — eight earned — and lasted just three innings in a 12-2 loss to the Twins.
Brian Dozier had a homer and four RBIs and Joe Mauer added three hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who broke the game open with a seven-run third inning that was the worst of Sale's career.
"I didn't put guys away when I should have or had the chance," Sale said. "Hitting is contagious. You give a team like that energy, and they're going to roll with it. And that's what they did."
Trevor May (2-1) gave up two runs on 10 hits and struck out four in 5 2-3 innings for the Twins (10-12).
Sale (2-1) gave up nine hits and struck out four. Melky Cabrera had two hits and an RBI for the White Sox, who were coming off an unsettling three days in Baltimore that saw two games postponed and one played in an empty stadium because of rioting in the city.
The White Sox (8-11) looked to be in sort of a fog all over the diamond on Thursday night after the bizarre stay in Baltimore.
They made two errors in the first three innings while the Twins dinked and dunked their way through Sale's offerings. Kurt Suzuki, Shane Robinson and Eduardo Escobar had bloop hits for RBIs to put the Twins in front and Dozier struck the big blow with a three-run blast to give them a 9-2 lead.
"When we dropped a few little bleeders in, I felt like he got frustrated and tried to throw the ball a little too hard," Dozier said. "He left it out over the plate and good-hitting teams, we capitalize on that. To put up the runs we did against, in my opinion, the best left-hander in the game, is pretty good."
Sale allowed eight twice in 2013, with his worst start going 4 1-3 innings of a loss to Cleveland on April 13 of that year.
"We also didn't help him," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We haven't been sharp defensively the last three games. Any time you give them more opportunities, you put a guy in a bind."
MORE MISCUES
Sale wasn't the only one having a rough night. Alexei Ramirez's fielding error in the second and Adam Eaton air-mailed throw in the third extended innings and the Twins' lead. Eaton also double-clutched on the Twins first run, allowing Torii Hunter to score from second. "There were a lot of different things going on that we just have to be sharper," Ventura said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Twins: GM Terry Ryan said RHP Ricky Nolasco (elbow) is on track to be activated from the 15-day disabled list in time to start on Saturday against the White Sox. Nolasco made one rehab start after going on the disabled list on April 9 with elbow inflammation. LHP Tommy Milone will be moved to a long role in the bullpen to make room for Nolasco in the rotation.
UP NEXT
The White Sox send LHP Jose Quintana (1-1, 6.55) to the mound for Game 2 against Minnesota RHP Kyle Gibson (1-2, 4.84). Quintana allowed two runs in seven innings of a no decision against Kansas City in his last start and is 3-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 10 career starts against the Twins. Gibson is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts against the Sox in his career.
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