White Sox rookie righty David Sandlin’s second start is nothing like his first in loss to Twins

MINNEAPOLIS — White Sox rookie right-hander David Sandlin began his second major-league start Monday much better than his first, when he allowed a leadoff home run to Twins star Byron Buxton.

This time, he struck out Buxton swinging.

What Sandlin didn’t do was retire the next 18 batters, which he did last Wednesday at Rate Field. At Target Field, three of the next four batters singled, and the Sox trailed. Sandlin got it together in the second and third, but he unraveled in the fourth.

With two outs, Sandlin walked No. 8 hitter Luke Keaschall to load the bases and allowed a grand slam to No. 9 hitter Tristan Gray. In the fifth, Sandlin allowed the first three batters to reach, ending his day and the Sox’ winning streak, which the Twins stopped at five with a 9-6 victory.

“Just didn’t execute,” said Sandlin, who allowed eight runs and eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts. “Wasn’t in the zone with really any of the pitches, didn’t get ahead, faltered there at the end. Like last week showed, when you’re in the zone, good things happen. Bad things happen when you’re not attacking hitters and forcing their hands.”

“The walks there put him in a tough spot,” manager Will Venable said. “There was a lot of traffic that he wasn’t able to work through. He got beat on some pitches in the zone and then wasn’t around the zone on some of the at-bats.”

Sandlin never pitched out of the stretch in his debut, but he didn’t think doing so in his second start made a difference.

“That’s what we focused on this week,” he said. “Just gotta keep working on holding runners. I think the game sped up on me a little bit there. [I need to] calm myself down, just get back after it. It’s a learning experience.”

Miguel Vargas was the Sox’ hitting star, going 3-for-5 with a double, two homers and four RBI. His 15 homers tie him with Colson Montgomery for second on the team behind Munteaka Murakami.

Notes

First baseman Munetaka Murakami received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his injured right hamstring Monday in Chicago. The treatment is meant to stimulate tissue repair. He’ll rest for a couple of days, then the Sox will ramp up his treatment later this week.

• Outfielder Austin Hays, another hitter with pop whom the Sox are missing, returned to Chicago from his injury rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte because of soreness in his left calf that he hasn’t been able to shake. He was being evaluated and undergoing testing.

• Catcher Kyle Teel, who’s out with a strained right hamstring, is on the trip and did catching drills Monday. He has yet to resume hitting.