MINNEAPOLIS — Nick Madrigal hit the first home run of his major-league career as the Chicago White Sox pummeled the Minnesota Twins 16-4 on Monday at Target Field.
Madrigal lined a 1-2 J.A. Happ fastball over the wall in left-center in the third inning for a solo home run. He went 3-for-5 with a walk and two RBIs as the Sox opened the three-game series in impressive fashion.
Danny Mendick added a grand slam in the fifth. The Sox had 18 hits.
Madrigal, Mendick and Yermín Mercedes provided the power for a team missing its home run leader, José Abreu. The first baseman is expected to miss the entire series because of left ankle inflammation.
Madrigal followed a Tim Anderson single with one of his own in the first. Both scored on a single to right by Mercedes. Yasmani Grandal drove in another run in the inning on a sacrifice fly.
Madrigal’s home run, which went 389 feet, made it 4-1 in the third.
Madrigal knocked in Anderson with a double to right in the fourth, and Yoán Moncada drove in Madrigal with a double against reliever Derek Law. Mendick’s grand slam came against Law the next inning.
It was the first grand slam of Mendick’s career. According to Elias, it’s the ninth time in Sox history players hit their first career home run and first career grand slam in the same game but the first time it was two different players.
Mendick had five RBIs.
Mercedes hit a solo home run off utility player Willians Astudillo in the ninth.
Mercedes and Leury García joined Madrigal with three hits. Anderson, Moncada, Andrew Vaughn and Billy Hamilton each had two hits. Mercedes had three RBIs and García and Hamilton had two each.
That was more than enough support for Sox starter Dallas Keuchel, who allowed three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
The Sox, who lead the American League Central at 25-15, have won nine of 11.
