Maybe it was the presence of the dogs in the stands on “Bark at the Park” night on Monday at Target Field that changed the Twins’ mojo.
Maybe it was the presence of the Chicago White Sox in the visitors’ dugout.
Minnesota fans can draw their own conclusions — and deliver any one-liners — after the up-until-now offensively challenged Twins knocked out 11 hits in a 7-0 win over the White Sox before an announced crowd of 12,443.
The Twins (8-13), who entered the game with a team batting average of .195 (only Chicago was worse in the majors), matched a season-high with the 11 hits. Chris Paddack (1-1) pitched seven strong innings.
The White Sox, who went down quietly, have lost 10 of their last 11 games. Their 3-19 record represents the worst start in franchise history.
Minnesota jumped on Chicago starter Jonathan Cannon early and never looked back. Max Kepler, just off the injured list and a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul, lined a double to right-center that drove in a pair of runs in the first inning.
The Twins scored three runs in the third to take a 5-0 lead. A single by Edouard Julien was followed by an RBI double by Trevor Larnach. One out later, Kepler lined a single to right to score Larnach.
Willi Castro collected Minnesota’s fourth hit of the inning, a double off the left-field wall, to score Kepler.
Julien knocked Cannon out of the game in the fourth with an RBI double off the left-field wall for a 6-0 lead. In the seventh, Julien’s fifth home run of the season, a pulled shot to right field provided the final cushion.
Paddack was roughed up in his last start, allowing nine runs on 12 hits in 5 1/3 innings against Baltimore. He rebounded in a big way, striking out 10 while allowing six hits.
Paddack retired the first 10 batters he faced before former Twins outfielder Robbie Grossman singled to center with one out in the fourth. Eloy Jimenez followed with an infield single and an infield single by Gavin Sheets loaded the bases.
But White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn lined out to first base for the second out of the inning and Paddack struck out Paul DeJong to end the threat.
Ronnie Henriquez, called up from the Triple-A prior to the game, came on to pitch in the eighth inning. He was greeted by a lined single to center but retired the next three batters.
Henriquez stayed on to pitch the ninth, and after giving up a leadoff single and a one-out walk, preserved the shutout by retiring the next two batters.
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