Major League Baseball
Chi. White Sox 7, Minnesota 2
When: 7:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 7, 2016
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois
Temperature: 60°
Umpires: Home - Bill Miller, 1B - Pat Hoberg, 2B - Brian Knight, 3B - Todd Tichenor
Attendance: 28049

CHICAGO -- Chris Sale recovered from a shaky first inning to dominate Minnesota and become MLB's first seven-game winner as the Chicago White Sox cruised past the Twins 7-2 on Saturday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Sale (7-0) struck out nine and allowed just three hits through seven innings as he retired 19 of the final 20 batters he faced. Chicago's ace lefty, who threw 120 pitches in this one, is just the fifth White Sox pitcher to win his first seven starts in a season.

Todd Frazier hit his team-leading eighth homer to snap an 0-for-20 slump then doubled in a run in a three-run seventh inning that allowed league-leading Chicago (21-10) to pull away.

Dioner Navarro had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI as the White Sox used a 13-hit attack to win their fifth straight against Minnesota and their fifth in seven overall.

Chicago's Austin Jackson, Brett Lawrie, Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu also drove in runs.

Minnesota's Ervin Santana (0-2) labored in his first start since April 19 after coming off the disabled list with a back strain. The right-hander lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while throwing 83 pitches.

League-worst Minnesota (8-22) lost for the eighth time in its last nine games and managed to score only in the first when Sale walked Oswaldo Arcia then hit Jorge Polanco with the bases loaded for force in runs.

Before his injury, Santana made just four starts and had a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings.

Chicago's Matt Albers pitched a scoreless eighth and Zach Duke followed up with a scoreless ninth. The Twins used five relievers, including Brandon Kintzler who was called up from Triple-A on Saturday, to mop up.

The Twins jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning as Sale struggled with control and hit two batters while throwing 36 pitches.

With two out, Miguel Sano singled and Trevor Plouffe bounced a ground-rule double over the fence in left-center. Sale hit Byung Ho Park to load the bases.

Arcia walked to force in the first Minnesota run, then Sale hit Polanco to force in the second.

Park left the game in the bottom of the inning with a bruised right knee and was replaced at first base by Joe Mauer, who originally had the day off.

Chicago cut it to 2-1 in the second when Navarro doubled in Avisail Garcia from first. Frazier's homer to left in the third tied it at 2.

The White Sox loaded the bases with one out in the fourth. After Santana walked Austin Jackson to force in a run and put Chicago ahead 3-2, Kintzler relieved Santana and retired Jose Abreu and Frazier to end the threat.

NOTES: Minnesota made several roster moves for a second straight day. RHP Casey Fien was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers and LHP Tommy Milone was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester after he cleared waivers. The Twins selected the contract of RHP Brandon Kintzler and recalled LHP Pat Dean from Rochester. Meanwhile, SS Eduardo Escobar (left groin strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list and INF Jorge Polanco was recalled from Rochester. ... White Sox 3B Todd Frazier, one of Chicago's key off-seasons acquisitions, entered the game hitless in 19 at-bats and with just a .191 batting average, even though he leads the team with seven homers. Manager Robin Ventura isn't worried, though. "He's made some great plays at third base to help us win games," Ventura said. "We know his bat's going to come around and help us win games." ... Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer didn't start after his 28-game on-base streak ended on Friday night. "I've been trying to get him a day for awhile," manager Paul Molitor said. "This seemed like the right day to do it." ... Molitor also held 2B Brian Dozier (hamstring) out for a second game and inserted OF Darin Mastroianni -- whose contract was selected on Friday from Rochester -- into the leadoff spot. ... White Sox C Alex Avila (strained right hamstring) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte on Friday. Ventura said Avila could return next week.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Minnesota   Chi. White Sox
Ervin Santana Player Chris Sale
Loss W/L Win
3.1 IP 7.0
4 Strikeouts 9
7 Hits 3
8.10 ERA 2.57
Hitting
Minnesota   Chi. White Sox
Jorge Polanco Player Dioner Navarro
1 Hits 3
1 RBI 1
0 HR 0
2 TB 5
.333 Avg .750
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Minnesota 4 0 6 .129 9 12 2 2 0 0
Chi. White Sox 13 1 20 .371 31 6 7 6 0 0