Cruz’s homer the lone Twins run in loss vs. Chicago

Lucas Giolito gave up two hits over eight innings with a season-high 11 strikeouts, guiding the Chicago White Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

Giolito (3-4) threw 111 pitches in his longest start of the year, another stride forward after a rough first month. The third-inning fastball that Nelson Cruz hit to center for his 10th home run accounted for Minnesota’s only runner past second base. Cruz also singled in the first.

Liam Hendricks pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances, following a game-ending strikeout of Max Kepler with a shout and an arm pump to celebrate Chicago’s 20th win in its last 28 games.

Leury García hit a leadoff double against Matt Shoemaker (2-5) in the fifth inning and scored the tying run on an infield single by Adam Eaton. Then García gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the sixth, zapping whatever spark the Twins were seeking from their 5-4 comeback win on Tuesday. Giolito faced the minimum batters from the fourth inning on.

Before the season began, the fast-rising White Sox looked like the stiffest competition for the two-time defending division champion Twins in the AL Central. One quarter of the way through the season, the White Sox are running away from the field and the Twins are flailing to avoid last place.

Shoemaker finished six innings for the third time this season, one sign of encouragement for a Twins team that has lost 11 of its last 14.

ALL IS CALM

The flap over the home run Yermín Mercedes hit off a 3-0 pitch on Monday from Twins position player Willians Astudillo has bemused White Sox manager Tony La Russa, who criticized Mercedes for missing the take sign being “clueless” about the unwritten sportsmanship rule in baseball that suggested he shouldn’t swing. La Russa said he wasn’t worried about irking his players.

"I walked around the clubhouse last night, and nobody was giving me the Heisman,” La Russa said.

MOVING ON UP

Cruz matched Mike Piazza for 50th place with 427 home runs, passing Billy Williams.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: 1B José Abreu sat out for the third straight game with left ankle inflammation. With an off day on Thursday, La Russa said he still has ”fingers crossed” that the team’s home run and RBI leader will return to the lineup this weekend in New York.

Twins: RHP Michael Pineda, the team’s best starting pitcher thus far, was put on the injured list with a skin problem — called an abscess — on his inner thigh. RHP Luke Farrell was promoted from Triple-A St. Paul to fill in. RHP Kenta Maeda, bothered by tightness in his groin, will be able to make his next scheduled start this weekend.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodón (5-1, 1.47 ERA) will pitch the opener of the three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday. He took his first loss of the season in his previous turn against Kansas City.

Twins: LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-1, 4.50 ERA) and RHP José Berríos (3-2, 3.74 ERA) will be the starters for a doubleheader on Thursday against the Los Angeles Angels, a makeup of games postponed for COVID-19 precaution on April 17 and 18. After the whirlwind trip to California, the Twins will turn around and travel to Cleveland for a three-game series starting on Friday.