MINNEAPOLIS – Save for his first outing of the year, Minnesota Twins pitcher Kyle Gibson has been pretty good this season.
Gibson’s performance on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox was his best one yet.
The right-hander baffled the White Sox for eight shutout innings as Minnesota won a 1-0 pitcher’s duel at Target Field.
Gibson found trouble just twice during his outing, navigating a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the second inning by coaxing a 6-4-3 double play from White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.
Chicago moved two runners into scoring position with two outs in the seventh, but Gibson got center fielder J.B. Shuck to line out to third to end the threat.
“I think it was one of those nights that once I got in a groove, everything was going pretty good,” Gibson said. “My changeup was good. They were just hitting it at people and that always helps.”
“He had some real clean, crisp innings,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Back-to-back starts when he’s been really good.”
Gibson allowed four hits and a walk while striking out four, improving to 2-2.
Twins closer Glen Perkins worked around two hits in the ninth for his seventh save.
White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana nearly matched Gibson’s performance, allowing a run, six hits and two walks in seven innings. He fanned five.
The only run scored by either team came in the bottom of the fifth. Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas and center fielder Shane Robinson started the inning with back-to-back singles. Shortstop Danny Santana struck out and second baseman Brian Dozier flied out to center field. Both Vargas and Robinson tagged on the play to put two runners in scoring position with two outs.
With right fielder Torii Hunter batting, Quintana bounced a 1-2 curveball in front of that plate that eluded Flowers and allowed Vargas to score.
“The game was won by a (wild pitch). I thought I’d seen it all,” Hunter said. “It was a great battle, both teams. Quintana had his stuff going today. He had it going everywhere.”
“(Quintana) was sharp,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “The (wild pitch) is just one of those you’d like to have back. But he pitched great. He got in a couple of binds but battled through it.”
White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche singled with one out and pinch-hitter Gordon Beckham had a two-out single against Perkins in the ninth, advancing to second on an error by left fielder Eduardo Escobar. But Perkins blew a 95 mph fastball by Flowers to end the game.
Chicago was 0-for-4 in the game with runners in scoring position and have now scored four total runs in their last three games combined, all losses.
“You keep grinding,” LaRoche said. “No question, it’s frustrating for all of us. We’ve run into some pitchers the past couple of days that aren’t overpowering but seem to be really hitting their spots.”
Minnesota 1, Chi. White Sox 0
CHW ab r h bi MIN ab r h bi
Johnson 2b 4 0 0 0 Dozier 2b 4 0 1 0
Ramirez ss 4 0 0 0 Hunter rf 3 0 2 0
Cabrera lf 4 0 0 0 Mauer 1b 3 0 0 0
Abreu 1b 4 0 0 0 Plouffe 3b 3 0 1 0
LaRoche dh 4 0 2 0 Suzuki c 3 0 0 0
Bonfco pr 0 0 0 0 Escobar lf 3 0 0 0
Garcia rf 3 0 1 0 Vargas dh 3 1 2 0
Gillspi 3b 2 0 1 0 Robnson cf 3 0 1 0
Beckham ph 1 0 1 0 Santana ss 3 0 0 0
Flowers c 4 0 1 0
Shuck cf 3 0 0 0
Totals 33 0 6 0 Totals 28 1 7 0
Chi. White Sox 000 000 000 - 0
Minnesota 000 010 00x - 1
E-Eu.Escobar 1, D.Santana 1. LOB-Minnesota 6, Chicago 8. 2B-A.Garcia (4). SB-Dozier (2).
IP H R ER BB SO
Chi. White Sox
Quintana L, 1-2 7 6 1 1 2 5
Putnam 0 1 0 0 1 0
Duke 1 0 0 0 0 1
Minnesota
Gibson W, 2-2 8 4 0 0 1 4
Perkins S, 7 1 2 0 0 0 1
Inherited runners-scored-Duke 2-0. HBP-Gillaspie (by Gibson). WP-Quintana (1).
Umpires-Home, Greg Gibson; First, Marvin Hudson; Second, Chad Fairchild; Third, Jim Joyce.
T-2:32. A-22,794 (42,035)
