Kepler has 3 RBIs in return from injured list; Twins beat White Sox 7-0
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Max Kepler had two hits and three RBIs in his return from the injured list and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 7-0 on Monday night.
Chris Paddack struck out 10 in seven innings to win as a starter for the first time in nearly two years. Edouard Julien homered among his three hits for Minnesota.
Blanked for the eighth time this season and once in each series, Chicago has lost 10 of 11. The White Sox fell to 3-19, the worst record in the majors.
Nicky Lopez and Danny Mendick each had two hits, and Gavin Sheets and manager Pedro Grifol were ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the eighth inning.
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Minnesota matched a season-high with 11 hits and tied its second-most runs in a game this season.
“I think it’s something good we can use to build off. Just a ton of positives to point to, all around,” said manager Rocco Baldelli.
Paddack (1-1) scattered just six hits and walked none for his first win as a starter since May 2, 2022. The right-hander underwent his second Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter and did not return until late last season, getting a win in relief Sept. 30.
Paddack, who was lit up for nine runs on 12 hits — both career highs — in 5 1-3 innings last Tuesday in Baltimore.
“Tonight, from top to bottom, it was a great win. For me personally, everybody knows nine earned and (12) hits against a hungry lineup in Baltimore wasn’t very fun. To be able to bounce back and look myself in the mirror knowing nothing is wrong, I don’t need to change who I am or what I did, tonight kind of speaks for itself,” he said.
Making his second career start, Chicago’s Jonathan Cannon (0-1) allowed nine hits and six earned runs in 3 2-3 innings. He held Kansas City to one run on three hits over five innings April 17.
“Just some poor execution, left too many pitches over the plate” Cannon said.
Activated off the injured list, Kepler, who missed the past 13 games with a right knee contusion and had just one hit in his first 20 at-bats this season, lined the first pitch he saw to right-centerfield for a two-run double in the first.
“He looked good from the moment he walked in the clubhouse today. He looked like he was just ready to play baseball,” Baldelli said.
Kepler added an RBI single in the third to score Trevor Larnach, who laced an RBI double to the wall. Kepler scored on a double by Willi Castro to make it 5-0.
Minnesota entered the night hitting an MLB-worst .135 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 16 the past two games. It finished 2 for 6.
“We attacked their pitchers, and anything that we were thrown in the zone, we were aggressive,” Julien said.
Three straight one-out singles in the fourth amounted to no runs for Chicago, which has scored an MLB-worst 45 runs this year. Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff snared a 104.7 mph liner from Andrew Vaughn and Paul DeJong struck out on three pitches.
“You like to stay optimistic and be like, ‘Hey, it’s going to eventually happen,’ but sometimes it just doesn’t. Just got to keep attacking,” said Lopez.
Trainer’s room
White Sox: Mendick, who has homered in five straight games for Triple-A Charlotte, was recalled, and right-hander John Brebbia was activated off the 15-day injured list. Infielder Lenyn Sosa and right-hander Nick Nastrini were optioned to Charlotte. Infielder Zach Remillard was designated for assignment.
Up next
Tuesdays’ second game of the four-game set has Chicago’s RHP Erick Fedde (1-0, 3.10) and Minnesota’s Pablo López (1-2, 3.97) as the scheduled starters.
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