Bailey Ober admits he was a little surprised when Rocco Baldelli told him, after five innings and only 69 pitches, that his outing was over on Monday afternoon. But with “where their lineup was falling and the way our bullpen was set up, I thought it was the best thing for us to go out there and win the game,” the manager said.
And for a while, it looked like the early hook might pay off.
The Twins rallied in the sixth inning for a pair of runs and tacked on another one in the seventh inning, using a Brooks Lee single to left to break open a tied game.
But in the eighth, consecutive doubles from Brooks Baldwin and Mike Tauchman added up to a pair of runs for Chicago, sinking the Twins in their 6-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the series opener at Target Field.
“What else do we really want after a tough start, being able to come back and take the lead in the seventh inning?” Baldelli said. “We just couldn’t hold it off and finish it.”
The Twins (62-75) did come back after falling into a three-run hole early when Colson Montgomery hit a leadoff home run in the second inning to get the White Sox (50-88) on the board in the second inning. A few batters later, Chase Meidroth took Ober deep, as well.
The longball continued to bite Ober, who has now given up 29 of them in 23 starts this season.
“It’s frustrating,” Ober said. “Just mistakes right now are getting hit.”
All told, Ober gave up four runs, but the Twins had some good at-bats throughout the game, chipping away at that deficit.
Byron Buxton’s bases-loaded walk forced in a run in the second inning. He scored later on a wild pitch combined with a throwing error, which brought him home from second, and the center fielder drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Royce Lewis hit another home run, and Lee’s single accounted for the team’s final run of the game.
And yet, the Twins couldn’t hang on, dropping another game to the team with the American League’s worst record after losing two of three to them in August.
“After all that, we had the lead in the seventh inning,” Baldelli said. “We expect to win that game.”
López ready
Pablo López walked into the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday fresh off a second trip to Toledo, Ohio, in less than a week.
The starter, out since early June with a teres major strain, admitted he initially was hoping he might just need two rehab outings. He described some disappointment when he was told to go back to Triple-A for one more rehab start.
But after how Sunday’s start went, he said he was glad he did it.
López threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday, giving up four hits and striking out seven against Triple-A Toledo. Now he expects his next start will be in the major leagues, likely next weekend against the Kansas City Royals.
“I spent so much time prepping for 75 feet, 90 feet, flat grounds, bullpens and now … hopefully in four or five days from now doing it on a big league mound, I’m excited,” López said.
Briefly
The Twins will send Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound on Tuesday in the second game against the White Sox. … Tuesday will mark the Twins’ second Bark at the Park of the season.
Minnesota Twins’ DaShawn Keirsey Jr. leaps to scores on a sacrifice fly hit by Byron Buxton during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
Edouard Julien #47 of the Minnesota Twins strikes out against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning of the game at Target Field on Sept. 1, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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