Jose Berrios will try to notch his 20th victory in the big leagues when the Minnesota Twins visit the Chicago White Sox on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field in the second of a four-game series.
Berrios (2-3, 3.63 ERA) has pitched well again this season after tallying 17 wins during his first two seasons with the Twins. The 23-year-old has struck out 36 batters in 34 2/3 innings this season.
Minnesota (10-17) will try to bounce back against the White Sox after a walk-off loss in the series opener Thursday night. Chicago outfielder Trayce Thompson ripped a home run into the left-field bleachers to cap off a 6-5 victory.
Chicago (9-20) has won only three of 13 games on its home field entering Friday’s contest.
The blast marked the third home run of the season for Thompson, the brother of Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson. He hopes the hit can usher in a hot streak after he has struggled with a 6-for-43 start to the season.
“It happened pretty fast,” Thompson said to NBC Sports Chicago. “I’ve been grinding, man. I’ve been having great at-bats.”
The Twins will try to bounce back from their 12th loss in the past 14 contests. Four of those losses have been on walk-off hits.
Outfielder Byron Buxton could return soon to provide a spark to Minnesota’s lineup. He accompanied the team on its trip to Chicago while he recovers from a hairline fracture in his left big toe.
“You can tell a little bit by his energy and his smile that he’s probably feeling a little bit better,” Twins manager Paul Molitor told The Athletic.
The White Sox will turn to right-hander Carson Fulmer (2-1, 4.32 ERA), who is slated to make his sixth start of the season and the 11th of his career.
Fulmer has walked 13 and struck out 18 in 25 innings this season, but he has won his last two starts, allowing two runs and seven hits over 13 innings.
In two career appearances against Minnesota, Fulmer is 0-1 and was pelted for seven runs in three innings.
In the opposite dugout, Berrios is 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox. He has walked eight and struck out 42 in 32 1/3 innings.
White Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez will try to stay hot after driving in a pair of runs in the series opener. Sanchez, who is hitting .272 with one home run and 17 RBIs, made his teammates laugh as he dumped ice water on himself in front of home plate while waiting for Thompson to trot home during his game-winner.
Thompson said the levity was much needed on a team that has played hard this season but often has come up short.
“We’ve had a lot of things go on with this team early on this season,” Thompson said. “We come out here to compete to win every night. It feels good to come out on top.”
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