Twins 9, White Sox 6: Twins Snap Five-Game Skid Behind Tristan Gray's Grand Slam

Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 6 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 9 SO, 0 BB
HR: Tristan Gray (4)
Top 3 WPA: Gray 0.32, Trevor Larnach 0.24, Josh Bell 0.08
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs):

The Twins desperately needed a reset Monday afternoon. After limping home from Pittsburgh on a five-game losing streak and coming off a sweep at the hands of the Pirates, Minnesota returned to Target Field looking to stop the bleeding against a White Sox club that arrived with momentum of its own. Chicago entered the series opener riding a five-game winning streak, after sweeping Detroit over the weekend.

With the Twins searching for stability, the ball was in the hands of the one starter who has consistently provided it all season. Joe Ryan took the mound as Minnesota's unquestioned ace. At a time when injuries and inconsistency have left the rotation searching for answers, Ryan has remained the one arm the Twins can count on every fifth day. They needed another strong effort from him against White Sox rookie David Sandlin, who was making just the second start of his major league career after allowing one run in his debut victory.

The Twins wasted little time making the rookie uncomfortable. Minnesota opened the bottom of the first inning by stringing together three hits, with Trevor Larnach delivering an RBI single that gave the Twins an early 1-0 advantage. The lead was short-lived, however, as Andrew Benintendi answered in the top of the second with an RBI single that tied the game.

The contest remained deadlocked until the fourth inning, when the Twins finally broke through in a big way. Josh Bell started the rally with a leadoff double, and Minnesota continued to apply pressure by putting additional runners on base. That brought Tristan Gray to the plate with the bases loaded, and the infielder delivered the game's biggest swing. Gray launched a grand slam to right-center field for his fourth home run of the season and his first since April 23. It was also his second grand slam of the year, sending Target Field into a frenzy and giving the Twins a 5-1 lead.

What looked like a comfortable advantage quickly became anything but. Ryan muscled his way through much of his outing, but ran into trouble in the fifth inning. Miguel Vargas connected for a two-run homer to trim the deficit, and Benintendi followed immediately with a solo shot of his own. Back-to-back home runs suddenly cut Minnesota's lead to 5-4 and put the pressure right back on the home club.

This time, the offense answered immediately. The Twins erupted in the bottom half of the inning, collecting three hits, drawing two walks, and pushing four runs across the plate. Austin Martin contributed an RBI single that snapped an 0-for-18 slump, and by the end of the inning, Minnesota had rebuilt its cushion to 9-4.

That offensive outburst proved critical. Ryan ultimately did not record a quality start after allowing four earned runs across six innings, but he still gave the Twins exactly what they needed. The right-hander limited further damage, completed six frames, and struck out nine hitters, matching his season high. More importantly, he kept Minnesota in position to capitalize on its best offensive performance in days.

Kody Funderburk and Yoendrys Gómez each delivered scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, preserving the lead and keeping Chicago at arm's length. The White Sox made one final push in the ninth when Vargas struck again, launching his second homer of the game, a two-run shot off Travis Adams that cut the deficit to three.

The late drama wasn't enough to spoil Minnesota's night. Powered by Gray's grand slam and a four-run answer in the fifth inning, the Twins held off the White Sox 9-6 to snap their five-game losing streak and open a seven-game homestand with a much-needed victory.

What's Next

The Twins will look to secure a series victory Tuesday evening when Connor Prielipp takes the mound seeking a bounce-back performance after consecutive rough outings. Standing in his way will be White Sox right-hander Davis Martin, who has been Chicago's most effective starter this season with a 2.00 ERA across 67 2/3 innings. First pitch from Target Field is scheduled for 6:40 PM CT.

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