MINNEAPOLIS — The White Sox trailed by a run and were down to their last out against the Twins with runners on first and third.
Center fielder Michael A. Taylor fell behind in the count 0-2. With the game on the line, he needed to slow things down.
After laying off back-to-back balls to even the count, Taylor ripped a two-run double to left field that gave the Sox a one-run lead.
“It was hooking at the end, so I was hoping it would stay [fair],” Taylor said. “I heard it landed right on the line there.”
Right-hander Jordan Leasure allowed Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach to reach with no outs. But Leasure recalibrated and got three consecutive outs to give the Sox a 4-3 victory at Target Field and a series win against Minnesota. Leasure picked up his sixth save.
The win gave the Sox their second four-game winning streak of the season and snapped a 205-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings.
“Our pitching staff did a great job keeping us in the game,” manager Will Venable said. “Our defense did a good job keeping us in the game, and we just continued to fight.”
The Sox (52-88) need to win 11 of their last 22 games to avoid a third consecutive 100-loss season. Taylor said it’s not a big deal to him whether the Sox avoid 100 losses. His focus is on the quality of play and commitment from his teammates down the stretch.
“Guys have always worked hard, played the game hard, but just doing the little things and attention to detail has improved as the season’s gone on,” Taylor said.
Vargas improving
Third baseman Miguel Vargas was beaming from his morning activities.
Vargas got a tour of the Vikings’ facility and met star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Vargas’ affinity for the Vikings grew because of former teammate Michael Busch from their time together in the Dodgers’ farm system.
Busch took Vargas to his first game at U.S. Bank Stadium, and he has been a Vikings fan ever since.
The visit was a nice reprieve for Vargas as he works his way back from a sprained left hand that put him on the 10-day injured list.
“I’m feeling better,” Vargas said. “I’m seeing a lot of progress in my hand, and I started doing more things and mobility with some weights. It’s a good thing, so hopefully [in the] next couple of days, [I’ll] start to swing the bat.”
In August, Vargas batted .281/.382/.421 with an .803 OPS and five doubles. He was hitting only .198 on April 29 but reworked his mechanics, placing his hands lower and out in front of his body, shortening his swing path.
“We’re going to push him to get out there, and at the same time, we want him to be healthy,” Venable said.
Cannon returns Thursday
The Sox are expected to activate right-hander Jonathan Cannon and use him in a bulk role. Left-hander Fraser Ellard will be the opener Thursday.
Cannon was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in August after allowing 18 runs over three starts.
He allowed five runs (four earned) in his last Triple-A start.