The White Sox have dominated the Twins this season.
The defending American League Central champions already were gasping with an 11½-game deficit going into the series, and they left town 14½ back after the first-place Sox completed a three-game sweep with an 8-5 victory Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Brian Goodwin and Zack Collins homered one day after the team hit six long balls in a 13-3 win. The Sox bounced back after Carlos Rodon surrendered a 3-0 lead in a four-run Twins fifth by scoring in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
“This club is resilient, man, relentless,” manager Tony La Russa said. “It was one of the weirdest innings I’ve seen, a guy pitching so good and all of a sudden gives up four. But we came back and scored, and the bullpen held them. Shows how tough these guys are between the ears.”
Michael Kopech (3-0) pitched a scoreless sixth in his first appearance since May 26.
“It was a huge series for us,” Collins said. “I wouldn’t say anything is permanent in baseball until the season, but it was good to get three wins against those guys. We have to keep taking care of business and get as many Ws as we can.”
The Sox (48-32) are 8-1 against the Twins (33-46) and have outscored them 76-37. They have won four in a row after a stretch of seven losses in eight games.
Moncada (hand) likely out vs. Tigers
Third baseman Yoan Moncada left the game with a bruised right hand and likely will miss the upcoming weekend series in Detroit, La Russa said.
Moncada made an awkward headfirst slide into third base on Jose Abreu’s single in the third inning and rolled over his hand, which swelled up. He stayed in the game and scored on Yasmani Grandal’s single before departing.
Moncada, who missed Tuesday’s game against the Twins with a sore right shoulder, singled twice in two plate appearances.
Another first for Vaughn
Andrew Vaughn moved from left field to third base for the first time. A first baseman converted to the outfield this season, Vaughn took the corner as Billy Hamilton entered the game in center field, moving Goodwin to left field.
Vaughn was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and went 6-for-9 in the series with a homer and four RBI. He was replaced in the field by Leury Garcia in the eighth.
Sheets has a series
Gavin Sheets, like Vaughn a converted first baseman, played all three games in right field after being called up from Triple-A Charlotte and went 5-for-11 with a homer, two doubles, five RBI and two runs scored.
Sheets’ strong showing could force the Sox into a tough roster decision when veteran Adam Eaton (hamstring) is ready to return from the injured list. Eaton, signed to a $7 million deal in the offseason, is batting .195/.296/.345.
Sheets is just the second player in franchise history to record at least one hit and RBI in each of his first three career games.
This and that
Ryan Burr (0.00 ERA) pitched the eighth and allowed a hit for only the second time this season. Burr has retired 18 of the last 19 batters he has faced.
• Yasmani Grandal (RBI single) has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, batting .302/.392/.605 with four home runs in that span.
