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MINNEAPOLIS — The Twins’ offense is still in search of consistency, and that was again clear on Sunday afternoon.
Buxton pulled Minnesota into a tie with an opposite-field two-run shot off White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer in the seventh inning and followed that with a decisive three-run walk-off blast off Liam Hendriks in the 10th for a 6-4 victory and a sweep of their first series of the year against the American League Central favorites at Target Field.
The Twins took advantage of a wild White Sox staff to create their share of scoring opportunities throughout the game, thrice loading the bases and putting a pair of runners on in the ninth. They emerged from all of those situations with only one combined run, struggling mightily to find a timely hit.
Fortunately for them, Buxton found two big blows.
After the White Sox pulled ahead in the top of the 10th, the Twins got a walk from José Godoy to put a pair on for Buxton, who crushed a Hendriks fastball to the third deck in left field for the third walk-off hit of his career and second walk-off blast, which also made him the first player in Twins history with six homers within his first 10 games of a season. The home run traveled a projected 469 feet, according to Statcast.
Buxton stepped to the plate in the seventh following a leadoff walk by Godoy, worked a full count, and tagged a sinker on the outside corner on a line to the overhang in right field, tying the game at 3 with only the fourth opposite-field homer of his career, as tracked by Statcast.
