Anderson continues to spark White Sox in series winner over Twins

It took 86 plate appearances, but Tim Anderson finally drew his first major league walk.

Anderson also singled three times and made a pretty play deep in the hole at shortstop, turning, leaping and one-hopping a strike to first baseman Jose Abreu for a picturesque out in the second, a body of work that, in a needed 6-5 White Sox victory over the Minnesota Twins, allowed the rookie to make light of his no-walks thing that has become a secondary storyline in his promising big-league debut.

“I was excited. I was happy,’’ the soft spoken Anderson said of the walk.

“[Todd] Frazier was like, ‘We got the bat, we got the pitcher, we got the umpire, we got everything,’ ’’ Anderson said. “It was pretty funny.’’

Anderson, batting .314 with a .322 on-base percentage and .514 slugging percentage, has played in 19 games and has 10 with multiple hits. That, and his seven-game hitting streak at the top of the Sox order have provided a welcome injection, walks be cursed.

“With Timmy doing what he’s doing, it’s nice to watch,’’ said Frazier, who cracked his 23^rd homer against left-hander Tommy Milone, his second in two games. “I was telling [bench coach] Rick Renteria in the dugout, he doesn’t change one bit whether he’s bad or good. That’s the sign of a really great athlete.’’

On the final day of June, the Sox (40-39) won a game they couldn’t afford to lose. The lowly Twins (25-53) rallied to tie it at 4 after the Sox had given starter Carlos Rodon a 5-2 lead and threatened to take a three-game series from the Sox on their home field. But J.B. Shuck capped a 3-for-4 afternoon by driving in the go-ahead run with a lefty-versus-lefty single against Fernando Abad in the eighth inning, helping the Sox to their third series win in a row.

The Sox hadn’t won three straight series all year, and now they head to Houston to face the red-hot Astros for three games before returning home to play the Yankees and Braves leading to the All-Star break.

“We kept battling and the offense continued to fight, and we got a run where we needed to,’’ said Shuck, who tied a career high for hits in a game. “Another series win.’’

Which is what the Sox need to be part of a wild card chase in the final three months of the season.

“We’re playing better,’’ Ventura said. “We’re getting some pitching, we’re swinging the bats, we’re playing some defense. You want to keep that going.’’It was the Sox’ second straight win with contributions from up and down the lineup.Avisail Garcia and Matt Davidson, making his season debut before leaving with a broken foot, each singled in a run in the Sox’ three-run fourth. Adam Eaton, moved down a spot since Anderson became the leadoff man, scored a run on Jose Abreu’s single by eluding catcher Kurt Suzuki’s tag and drove in another getting hit with a pitch with the bases loaded.

Rodon retired the first 11 Twins but gave up back to homers to Robbie Grossman and Brian Dozier in the fourth and could not finish the sixth inning.

Nate Jones pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win and David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 21st save. Sox pitchers continue to appreciate Anderson’s range on defense as well as his ability to make the routine plays. His glove was thought to be a potential question mark, but so far his defense has been solid, too.

“I don’t think he was necessarily ready right out of spring training, but this is a different kid,’’ Ventura said.

“Just the ball off the bat, his reactions, his first step quickness. The first thing you really notice is how he moves. He’s been great. Not flustered He’s a very confident kid.’’