MINNEAPOLIS -- The White Sox played some of their best baseball in an otherwise forgettable start to the 2024 season during the first six innings of Tuesday night’s contest at Target Field.

So, that career-high 11-strikeout performance by starter Erick Fedde, along with a three-run blast from Eloy Jiménez in the fourth, set up the White Sox for … their most heartbreaking setback -- a 6-5 walk-off loss to the Twins -- amid a dismal 3-20 campaign.

How did a 3-1 lead through six and a 5-2 lead in the eighth disappear? Let’s take a look.

Eighth inning with Kopech on the mound

Manager Pedro Grifol’s original plan was to have his closer work two innings, especially since Michael Kopech had thrown two innings total since April 17. That plan changed when Trevor Larnach crushed a two-run, two-out blast to cut the lead to 5-4.

“Started him off with a curveball thinking we know he's a good fastball hitter,” White Sox catcher Martín Maldonado said. “We missed and then attacked with a really good pitch, and then we got into his [sweet spot].

“Kopech doesn't miss there often. He wants to pitch up in the strike zone and that pitch stayed down, and he put a good swing on it."

With the top of the Twins’ lineup on the docket after No. 9 hitter Christian Vázquez, Grifol wanted Kopech for the eighth with Steven Wilson ready to possibly close in the ninth.

“Wilson’s thrown the ball great,” Grifol said of the right-hander, who had held opponents to 2-for-29 entering the ninth. “I was really comfortable with him coming in, starting at [Byron] Buxton right there.

“If it would have been the top of the order, it might have been a little bit of a different story. But that pocket where he came in, it’s a pocket that we targeted prior to the game.”

Ninth inning, Buxton leading off

Wilson started Buxton, a noted crusher of White Sox dreams, with a 94 mph four-seam fastball, according to Statcast. His next pitch, a 93.1 mph four-seamer a little up in the zone, was ripped to left for a 371-foot game-tying blast.

“Fastball to Buxton, two in a row, probably not the best idea thinking back to it,” Wilson said. “Yeah, probably got to execute there and go with a slider, which is also a good option.”

“Make sure this one doesn’t get too high. But just kind of went up there with my aggressive approach,” Buxton said. “Don’t try to do too much, but also don’t let him get that strike over. He’s got a good little sweeper, so for me, I didn’t want to let him get to his best pitch.

“Went up there a little bit more aggressive and put a good swing on the ball.”

Ninth inning, one on and one out

On a 1-2 count, Ryan Jeffers dumped a half-swing sweeper down the left-field line, landing just fair. It would have been a tough play for left fielder Andrew Benintendi to make, as Grifol pointed out postgame, but it left runners on second and third.

“We’re playing no-doubles, way back there. It hit about a foot away from the line,” Grifol said. “It would have been a hell of a catch if he made it. I don’t think he should have caught that ball. Again, it is a 20% catch probability, so it was a 20% chance to catch that ball.”

After Wilson struck out Vázquez, Alex Kirilloff walked off the White Sox with a single to right. It was the same Kirilloff, who had struck out four times in his first four at-bats.

There were some close pitches Wilson didn’t get in the ninth. To Wilson’s credit, he didn’t use that situation as a crutch.

“I thought there was one for sure, maybe two,” Wilson said of possibly getting squeezed in the ninth. “But I didn’t get squeezed on a homer.”

So … now what?

With a franchise-worst ledger to start the season and a five-game losing streak, it would be difficult to imagine this scenario getting worse. Tuesday’s finish indicates otherwise, but the White Sox are lacking in wins, not fight.

“Results have not been there, but we’ve been working really hard,” Jiménez said. “So, I know this is not going to be like that forever.”

“For me, it’s come to the field every day, get your work done, and go out in the field and do your job,” Wilson said. “I see things pretty black and white, and tonight, I didn’t do my job.”

“We’ve got to win games, man. Bottom line. We took a 5-2 lead, we had a full bullpen,” Grifol said. “We were in a good spot. Just didn’t close it out.”