CHICAGO _ White Sox manager Rick Renteria said before Friday night's game that he challenged Carson Fulmer to not simply throw the first pitches of each at-bat for strikes, but throw them with "conviction."
For the most part, Fulmer did what he was asked and got the call on nine first-pitch strikes over 32/3 innings in the Sox's 6-4 loss to the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.
It was the rest of the at-bats that gave him problems.
Fulmer gave up seven hits and four home runs _ including two back-to-back in a three-homer third inning _ before Aaron Bummer relieved him in the fourth inning.
Renteria had praised Fulmer for doing a better job mixing his first pitches in his last outing.
"There's a difference between just throwing a first-pitch strike and throwing one with conviction," he said.
"These guys are starting to understand that too. I believe it's a very important part of their being able to do it. You can't take one pitch off because you can get (hit) in that particular moment."
Fulmer had looked to build on a modest winning streak of two games, but Eduardo Escobar homered off him twice _ first in the second inning for the Twins' first run, and again in the third on an 0-2 count.
Brian Dozier hit a 399-foot blast to lead off the third, and Logan Morrison followed up Escobar's homer with a line-drive shot to center.
Jose Abreu made sure the White Sox were never out of it, launching his own line-drive shot to center field to put the White Sox up 2-0 in the first inning and driving in Yolmer Sanchez on a groundout to second in the seventh inning.
When Twins shortsop Ehire Adrianza's relay on Abreu's grounder scooted past second baseman Dozier in the seventh, the White Sox had men on second and third and a chance to erase a two-run deficit and rally for a second straight night.
Anticipation amped up even more when Twins reliever Ryan Pressly walked Nick Delmonico next, but it faded just as quickly when Matt Davidson stuck out swinging.
Yoan Moncada left the game in the fifth inning with tightness in his left hamstring, and Adam Engel replaced him as a pinch runner after Twins starter Jose Berrios walked him. It's the third time the hamstring has caused him to leave a game in recent weeks.
He will be re-evaluated Saturday.
The Sox recalled left-hander Jace Fry from Triple-A Charlotte and he replaced Chris Volstad in the seventh. Fry struck out Eddie Rosario but threw two wild pitches, one of which sent Morrison ducking for cover.
