CHICAGO — Gavin Sheets had two hits and two RBIs in his big league debut for the Chicago White Sox in a 7-6 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in front of 17,382 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Sheets, recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before the game, went 2 for 4 and scored once.
He singled to left in his first at-bat in the second inning, collected an RBI on a fielder’s choice in the third and drove in another run with a bloop double to left in the fifth. He struck out in the seventh.
Leury García drove in two as the Sox took the opener of the rain-shortened series. They have a 2 1/2-game lead in the American League Central over Cleveland.
Sox starter Lucas Giolito allowed three runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk in six-plus innings. He surrendered a two-run home run to Josh Donaldson in the first. Giolito exited after giving up a leadoff double in the seventh.
Sheets’ RBI on the fielder’s choice tied the score at 2. García followed with an RBI single.
The Sox scored four runs in the fifth. Zack Collins scored on the bloop double by Sheets, making it 4-2. Andrew Vaughn scored on García’s sacrifice fly to center, and Danny Mendick and Tim Anderson had RBI singles.
The Twins scored three in the seventh, and reliever Evan Marshall exited with two outs after the training staff checked him out. The Sox said Marshall has right forearm soreness and is day to day.
Ryan Burr retired all four batters he faced.
The Twins scored once in the ninth and had the tying run on third with two outs, but Sox closer Liam Hendriks got Alex Kirilloff to fly out to center for his 21st save.
