“Finishing a major league season, which is a long year, on a strong note, continually taking the ball and showing up and doing it is a real thing,” Baldelli said. “There is a physical element to it. There is a mental side of it. Before you can know you can do it, you’ve got to go out there and do it. Zebby is doing that now.”
The Twins, on a night in which temperatures dipped below 60 degrees, handed Matthews a two-run lead in the first inning. Larnach dropped a single into center, extending his on-base streak to a career-high 14 games, and Luke Keaschall lined an RBI double to left field. Larnach, already running on a full-count pitch, scored easily from first base.
Matt Wallner followed with a single to right field. Keaschall briefly stopped at third until he saw Baldwin, the White Sox’s right fielder, fumble the ball. Keaschall scored on the error.
The Twins squandered some opportunities to add to their lead. They left the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Buxton hit a leadoff triple in the fifth inning, but he was thrown out at the plate attempting to score on a dribbler to the mound.