Despite loss, Sox magic number drops to 1

CHICAGO -- Three things had to happen for the White Sox to clinch their first postseason berth since 2008 on Wednesday night: A Tigers loss, a Mariners loss and a third straight White Sox victory over the Twins.

But as recording artist Meat Loaf once famously sang, two out of three ain’t bad. Although Minnesota claimed a 5-1 victory at Guaranteed Rate Field, Detroit fell to Kansas City and Seattle lost to San Francisco, meaning even in defeat, the White Sox magic number to clinch a postseason berth dropped to one. They can clinch with a win today over the Twins or losses by the Mariners, Orioles and Tigers.

• Box score

“It's been a long time coming. We've been working toward this for many years now,” Chicago right-hander Lucas Giolito said. “We knew we were going to be a lot better than people were saying.

“So now, we just kind of flush this one. It's just one of those nights where we didn't really put it together. Come back [Thursday], hopefully close out this series on a high note and keep playing good baseball down the stretch. I don't think there's much else to say. Just keep doing what we're doing. It's been working most of the time."

• Renteria, Sox eye goals beyond playoff berth

Minnesota starter Jake Odorizzi, who exited after 3 2/3 innings due to a blister on his right middle finger, combined with Cody Stashak, Tyler Duffey and Trevor May to hold the White Sox high-powered attack to a season-low two hits. The Twins retired 18 straight batters after José Abreu’s 16th home run of the season, which led off the fourth. It was also the 195th home run and 660th RBI of Abreu’s career.

“That's our leader, that's our MVP,” Giolito said. “Hopefully, at the end of the year, MVP across the American League. He just does it, man. Whether he's playing first that night, DHing, the focus is there every single at-bat, no matter what's going on in the game.”

“Obviously, [Abreu], it’s unbelievable what he’s been able to do,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “We’re happy that it’s happening for him, and hopefully it will happen for everybody [Thursday] in some way, shape or form, where we can string things together and get the offense to give us a chance.”

Giolito allowed three runs on three hits and three walks in six innings, throwing 104 pitches. Those three runs came on a pair of homers -- an Eddie Rosario leadoff home run in the second and a Byron Buxton two-run blast in the fourth. The Twins added another homer when Miguel Sanó went deep off right-hander Matt Foster in the eighth.

Giolito wasn't bothered by the homers he allowed. He was more upset with the three walks, including the one he issued to Rosario before Buxton’s home run.

“Need to be better making competitive pitches, especially if we're not on the board,” Giolito said. “Making competitive pitches, having competitive at-bats, not handing them out free passes and giving them opportunities.”

The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the White Sox (32-17) and moved the Twins (31-20) back within two games of first place in the American League Central. Minnesota has a 5-4 lead in the season series, with only Thursday afternoon’s finale remaining.

Dallas Keuchel was lined up to come off the 10-day injured list and make that start for the White Sox, but it instead will be Reynaldo López, who has not made it through the second in either of his two 2020 starts against the Twins. But Chicago pushed Keuchel back to face the Reds this weekend, lining up its rotation for the postseason, a goal it can officially achieve with a win Thursday.

“I definitely see that as a nice milestone for us after what we've been building toward the last three years,” Giolito said. “But at the same time, making the playoffs was expected. So for us, the ultimate goal is to win the World Series, straight up. We've just got to keep playing the way we know how to play on a daily basis and pick each other up when we need to.

“We do a very good job of getting back to what we need to do the next day. I think that's part of the reason we've been so good, is even after losses, we don't lose confidence. We know what we're capable of the next day and the day after that and so on."