A road victory against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night would snap a three-series losing streak for the Minnesota Twins.
Minnesota hopes to get there with a tighter effort from a pitching staff that overcame 12 hits and eight walks to earn a 9-7 win over the White Sox on Friday.
Could rookie right-hander Mick Abel provide a salve? While the Twins haven’t officially named a starter, Abel is expected to make his Twins debut Saturday.
Minnesota acquired Abel (2-2, 5.04 ERA) in a trade-deadline deal last month that sent closer Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia.
“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Abel said. “I’m just ready whenever.”
The Twins stopped a three-game losing streak Friday and won for just the second time in eight games.
Royce Lewis, who slumped to a 3-for-22 showing during Minnesota’s recent 1-6 homestand, sparked the attack, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam.
“I think every time I come up with the bases loaded, I’m thinking homer. I can’t lie to you,” Lewis said. “I’m looking for that homer. It’s nice, it’s tasty and it’s fun.”
Lewis, who also made a key defensive play with the bases loaded in the eighth, hopes to sustain momentum gained after making some adjustments.
“Honestly, just really good work today. I got with the coaches and they helped me out with some things, which was awesome,” he said. “Obviously, the results aren’t supposed to come very fast, but today they did, and we’re appreciative of that, for sure.”
Chicago will aim to even the three-game series behind right-hander Davis Martin (4-9, 3.94 ERA), who delivered his first quality start since June 6 during Sunday’s no-decision in a 6-2 loss at Kansas City.
Martin spaced one hit, three walks and four strikeouts while earning high praise from White Sox manager Will Venable.
“That was about as good as it gets,” Venable said. “He was in the zone the whole day. When he didn’t get ahead with the first pitch, he was right back in the count. Got soft contact. I thought everything was working for him. Really good cutter, really good changeup. He’s aggressive and attacks the zone, so great job.”
A similarly attacking approach has boosted the White Sox’s offense lately. Friday marked the third time in the past four games that the team has scored at least seven runs.
Kyle Teel, Lenyn Sosa, Luis Robert Jr., Edgar Quero and Colson Montgomery contributed two hits apiece for Chicago, which lost for the seventh time in eight games. Sosa and Montgomery both had two RBIs, with Montgomery cracking a two-run homer.
“It’s good. We keep fighting the whole game,” White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas said. “We fell behind in the first couple innings, but every time we show fight like this, it’s a good thing.”
Martin is 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA in four career appearances against the Twins, including three starts, with 11 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings.
He lost an April 22 start at Minnesota, allowing two unearned runs and three hits in five innings with three walks, three strikeouts and a hit batsman.