CHICAGO � Newest Twins reliever Sergio Romo flew nearly 1,200 miles on Sunday to check out his new team. And he saw why they are leading the American League Central Division.
They blitzed the White Sox with a five-run first inning. They belted four home runs. They got six effective innings from righthander Kyle Gibson. And they used it all to defeat Chicago 11-1.
It allowed the Twins to do something that they have not done since July 14 _ gain a full game in the standings on second-place Cleveland. While the Twins were winning on Sunday, Cleveland righthander Trevor Bauer was melting down and throwing a baseball over the center field wall _ from the pitcher's mound _ as the Indians lost 9-6 to the Royals. The Twins now lead Cleveland by two games in the American League Central.
The addition of the veteran Romo, who was traded from the Marlins on Saturday, is designed to help the Twins protect more leads, win more games and add to that lead.
The Twins took three of the four games of the series and will head to Miami for three games against the Marlins that begin on Tuesday at
Marlins Park. It comes after the Twins knocked White Sox starter Dylan Covey out of the game in the first inning and saw Chicago manager Rick Renteria get ejected by Angel Hernandez for arguing balls and strikes in the sixth inning.
Max Kepler doubled on the first pitch of the game. Three pitches later, Jorge Polanco clobbered a two-run home run to right to open the scoring. Nelson Cruz and Luis Arraez each hit a single before Miguel Sano launched a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall to put the Twins ahead 5-0.
And that was all for Covey, who dropped to 1-6 with a 6.99 ERA. Many among the announced crowd of 27,595 booed Covey off the field.
The Twins got a two-run double from Cruz in the fourth, a two-run homer from Jonathan Schoop in the fifth and a two-run home run from Max Kepler in the eighth as the Twins pulled away from Chicago.
Kyle Gibson got out of a two on, two out jam in the first inning then cruised before the White Sox loaded the bases in the sixth and scored around. Gibson struck out next three batters after Jon Jay's RBI single, including a called strike three to Eloy Jimenez that got Renteria.
