MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins bade the first-place Chicago White Sox farewell for the season by winning their second in a row in a three-game series that concluded with Wednesday afternoon's 1-0 victory at Target Field.
That only run came on Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco's sixth-inning home run. As he did with an opposite-field homer in Houston on Sunday, Polanco hit one into the bullpen area in left-center field.Those are first two homers to the opposite field of his career.
It also was his 21st homer this season and it traveled 416 feet off White Sox reliever Jose Ruiz.
Polanco nearly made it 2-0 with another home run — this time pulled down the right-field line — but it hit high off the wall and it bounded back into play with two outs in the eighth. He motored all the way to third base, but was left there when Luis Arraez lined out to center off Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel.
The White Sox best threat came in the third inning, when they positioned runners at first and third. But Twins starter Bailey Ober struck out first baseman Andrew Vaughn to end the inning and Vaughn responded by slamming his bat down, stirring up dirt in the batter's box.
Ober pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed six hits and walked one before he gave way to relievers Caleb Thielbar, Juan Minaya and Alex Colome, who combined to allow no hits and two walks. Thielbar (4-0) picked up the win, and Colome got the save, his fifth in his past seven appearances. In those seven games, Colome has given up only one hit and his ERA has dropped from 4.82 to 4.12.
The Twins' biggest threat before Polanco's home run was the second inning, when they stranded Arraez after he reached third base with one out.
The Twins have Thursday off before starting a three-game series against Tampa Bay at Target Field on Friday night. The weekend will be a reunion of the Twins' 1991 world championship team.
