Tim Anderson’s single with one out in the ninth inning scored Avisail Garcia from second base to give the White Sox a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Twins on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Garcia led off the ninth against Trevor Hildenberger (2-2) with a single to right and was bunted to second by Kevan Smith. After Yolmer Sanchez was intentionally walked, Anderson delivered the first walk-off hit of his two-year career.
“I wanted that moment,” said Anderson, who received a Gatorade bath from teammates. “I put the first three at-bats behind me and came up big. It was an exciting moment. I’m going to enjoy it and wear it until tomorrow.”
Leury Garcia made an outstanding running catch in center field, hit his ninth homer of the season against Ervin Santana in the sixth doubled and scored the tying run on Yoan Moncada’s double in the eighth.
Moncada, batting right-handed against lefty Taylor Rogers, pulled his double inside the third-base line.
“I like the pressure,” said Moncada, who had two doubles Tuesday and was 1-for-4 in this game and batting .192 since getting called up from Class AAA Charlotte on July 19. “I like being in some at-bats with the game on the line, because that’s something that you can change the course of the game. I like to be that guy, and I like to be the guy to help to win games. I like to get those chances.”
Sox starter James Shields (5.63 ERA) allowed three runs and three hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two. It was his fourth straight start allowing three earned runs or less, all of them coming since he lowered his arm slot to a three-quarters delivery in the middle of a start against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Aug. 5.
“I’m inducing ground balls,” Shields said. “I’m throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters and mixing my pitches up pretty well right now. It’s still a work in progress but we’re going to keep going.”
Jorge Polanco homered for the fourth straight game and drove in another run with a single against Shields.
Danny Farquhar (3-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.
The Sox (49-76) and Twins (65-61) concluded their five-game series on Thursday night with each team owning two wins.
