Bullpen gives up lead, spoils Cease's dominant start

MINNEAPOLIS -- Entering a three-game weekend series in Minnesota, there was little margin for error for the White Sox in an attempt to resuscitate their season against the division-leading Twins.

A 3-2 loss Saturday at Target Field showed how little wiggle room Chicago has with its season on the line.

The White Sox got a strong start from Dylan Cease but fell for the second straight game against Minnesota after the Twins rallied in the seventh, and Chicago couldn’t capitalize on its chances. The result leaves the White Sox trailing Minnesota in the American League Central by 11 games with 62 to play.

“I think just being professional and still showing up,” Cease said when asked where the team goes from here. “There’s never any excuse not to give everything you have.”

Chicago looked ready to grab a little momentum.

Cease had another strong outing, giving up one run on three hits and two walks in six innings with nine strikeouts. Tim Anderson stole home on a double steal in the third inning to open the scoring, and Luis Robert Jr., who stole second on the play, scored on Yasmani Grandal’s single.

But Minnesota scored a pair of runs in the seventh to take the lead. The White Sox had two runners on in both the eighth and ninth innings but couldn’t score and lost for the 10th time in 14 games.

“The top five guys in the order got on base 11 times,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “We were (1-for-9) with runners in scoring position. It’s hard to win that way, especially on the road. We battled, freaking broken record, we battled, we just came up short.”

After relieving Cease and getting the first out of the seventh, Keynan Middleton walked Byron Buxton, who also stole second base, and Kyle Farmer followed with an infield single. Gregory Santos came on in relief, and Christian Vázquez doubled off the top of the wall in left field to score the tying run. Michael A. Taylor plated the winning run with a single up the middle through a drawn-in infield.

Robert started the eighth with a double down the right-field line, and Eloy Jiménez walked. Three straight outs ended the inning. Chicago also had two infield singles against Minnesota closer Jhoan Duran in the ninth but struck out three times.

“We did some good things except win a game,” Grifol said. “And at this level, the bottom line is to win baseball games. … Good things, but we didn’t win a game. All that matters is that ‘W’ in the win column.”

The missed chances spoiled another strong effort from Cease. Over his past nine starts, the right-hander has a 3.00 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 51 innings. But he has just one win in that stretch.

“I really feel like since that first, what was that, maybe six- to eight-start stretch where I was pretty poor, I’ve really been good,” Cease said.

Grifol, perhaps, demonstrated the importance of the series in Minnesota when discussing the health of Jiménez.

Jiménez, who went 1-for-3 with a walk, was lifted for a pinch-runner in the eighth as he continues to deal with a groin injury.

“I want his bat over his legs,” Grifol said. "I want to make sure I get that out there clearly for everybody. I choose his bat over his legs. That’s all he can give us. I’ll continue to monitor that, and if I think it becomes a problem for us where he’s going to get hurt or compromise us in any way running the bases, then I’ll make a change. But for right now, I’m choosing his bats over his legs.”

Grifol knows he can’t afford to rest Jiménez now.

“I’m not giving him a day tomorrow,” Grifol said. “He’s playing tomorrow. We’ve got to win that ballgame tomorrow.”