CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Jeffers hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the fifth inning and Taj Bradley settled down after a rough start to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Bradley (11-6) gave up two home runs in the first inning but retired the next 10 batters he faced, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings. Four Twins relievers allowed two hits over four scoreless innings, with Yoendrys Gómez picking up his 21st save.
The Twins pulled within six games of the White Sox in the AL Central and 3 1/2 games of the third AL wild card. The White Sox lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Munetaka Murakami hit his 30th home run in the first inning, a two-run shot that gave the White Sox three players with 30 or more home runs, along with Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, for the first time since 2008.
Murakami became the fourth Japanese-born player to hit at least 30 home runs in a season. Montgomery hit his 31st later in the first, a record for White Sox shortstops.
White Sox starter Anthony Kay (9-8) allowed one baserunner, on a Vargas error, through three innings before the Twins scored twice in the fourth. Kody Clemens hit into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and Brooks Lee added an RBI double.
Jeffers then hit his 14th home run in the fifth off Kay (9-8), who allowed five runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Vargas singled in a run in the fifth before Kaelen Culpepper extended the Twins' lead with an RBI double in the seventh.
Twins RHP Bailey Ober (7-4, 4.37 ERA) closes out the series Sunday. The White Sox pushed RHP Sean Burke's scheduled start to Tuesday and did not announce a replacement.
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