White Sox fall flat in Minnesota finale, but take care of business in division entering home stretch
MINNEAPOLIS — White Sox bats went silent Sunday to fall short of a sweep in Minnesota, losing 5-1 in the finale of a series that still saw them bury the Twins in the American League Central standings with a month to go in the regular season.
Twins starter Zebby Matthews took a perfect game into the sixth inning until No. 9 Sox hitter Drew Romo (.140/.229/.292) pulled a single to right field.
Matthews scattered four other hits over 8 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. Braden Montgomery got the Sox on the board in the ninth with an RBI single.
Minnesota hitters took full advantage of a bullpen day for the Sox, tagging opener Jordan Hicks for three runs, Tyler Gilbert for another and adding one more off bulk thrower Jose Urquidy. He went five innings for a pitching staff desperate for coverage with the calendar flipping to September.
By taking two out of three, the Sox put another game between themselves and the second-place Guardians while leaving Minnesota seven-and-a-half back with a month to go. The Twins put perennial Sox killer Byron Buxton back on the injured list Sunday with a hip injury.
The Sox head to Houston for another key series with the AL West-leading Astros.
Luis Castillo throws to the Minnesota Twins Friday in Minneapolis.
No panic for Castillo
General manager Chris Getz hasn’t exactly gotten what he ordered with trade-deadline prize Luis Castillo, who has posted a 6.45 ERA in five starts for the Sox.
After his latest clunker in Minneapolis on Friday, said his struggles have come when he’s “trying to be perfect with every pitch.”
“Pitching for this team gives me a lot of confidence because I know that I’m on a good team,” Castillo said via interpreter Billy Russo. “Those guys have my back and every time I go there, they’re going to try to perform and do their best with every at-bat.
“I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable here. We’ve created a good relationship with my teammates and the manager and of course the pitching coach. We’re in a good spot and we’re always in communication, trying to get better and improve.”
Teel feeling better
Manager Will Venable said injured catcher Kyle Teel is nearing a return to the big-league roster as they take it “day by day” in returning from the backstop’s third IL stint this season, this time for a sprained ankle.
Teel has gone 2-for-10 with four strikeouts and a walk over the first three games of a Triple-A rehab assignment, working behind the plate for two of those outings.
“I’m telling him more than anything, this is kind of like your spring training all over again,” said Sox hitting director Ryan Fuller, who visited Teel in Charlotte. “He’s feeling really good physically, and now it’s getting up to speed and making sure those ABs are there.”