Alex Kirilloff homered twice among his three hits and Max Kepler, Jose Miranda and Jorge Polanco also hit home runs to boost the visiting Minnesota Twins to an 8-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Minnesota improved to 5-0 against Chicago this season and will seek a three-game series sweep on Wednesday afternoon.
Twins spot starter Josh Winder benefited from the barrage, as he slid into the rotation for Chris Archer, who was scratched with left hip tightness and placed on the injured list before the game. Winder (4-2) gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings with two walks and three strikeouts.
Yoan Moncada’s RBI double in the fourth inning and a run-scoring fielder’s choice from Tim Anderson in the fifth were the lone blemishes against Winder.
White Sox starter Michael Kopech (2-6) struggled mightily against Minnesota, a club he had held in check in his career entering Tuesday, pitching to a 0.75 ERA over six games, including two starts. The right-hander allowed four of the Twins’ five home runs.
Kopech walked the bases loaded in the first inning but escaped damage, then yielded one hit in a scoreless second. The Twins started their long-ball barrage in the third, as Kepler connected on a first-pitch solo shot with two outs.
Miranda hit a two-run blast in the fourth before the Twins chased Kopech from the game an inning later. Polanco hit a two-run shot on the first pitch with one out in the fifth and Kirilloff followed with a solo shot one batter later.
All told, Kopech allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings with four walks and five strikeouts.
After yielding zero home runs in his first eight starts of the season, Kopech has surrendered nine homers over his past seven starts.
Reese McGuire had three hits for the White Sox, while Luis Robert and Josh Harrison added two apiece. Jose Abreu singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Kepler had two hits for the Twins.
–Field Level Media
