Munetaka Murakami and Drew Romo homered to back six strong innings from Anthony Kay as the Chicago White Sox defeated the visiting Minnesota Twins 3-1 on Monday.
Chicago won for the eighth time in its past nine home games while snapping the Twins’ four-game winning streak.
Kay (4-1) overcame sluggish beginnings to win his third straight decision. Seranthony Dominguez worked around Luke Keaschall’s one-out single in the ninth to earn his 11th save.
Both clubs traded solo home runs in the first inning, with Brooks Lee connecting for Minnesota two batters into the game before Murakami answered in the bottom half.
Murakami snapped a seven-game home run drought while retaking the American League lead with his 18th blast of the season.
Romo added to the advantage in the White Sox second. After Tristan Peters walked to lead off the inning, Romo reached Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews for a two-run shot to right field that eluded Austin Martin’s leaping attempt at the wall.
A reserve catcher, Romo has five home runs among his 10 hits this season.
Matthews recovered from early susceptibility to the long ball, retiring eight straight Chicago batters during one stretch before Rikuu Nishida singled with two out in the fourth.
Starting in right field, Nishida went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in his major league debut. He was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before the game as Chicago designated Jarred Kelenic for assignment.
Nishida also contributed a strong defensive effort, including erasing Minnesota’s Orlando Arcia at home plate to end the second inning.
Matthews delivered his third quality start in as many outings this season but fell to 1-2. He spaced three runs and five hits in six innings with one walk and six strikeouts.
Kay also settled down after yielding an early run. He set down eight straight between Byron Buxton’s leadoff walk in the third and his two-out double in the fifth. Kay navigated a wild pitch and hit-by-pitch to escape trouble in the fifth and exited after retiring the side in order in the sixth.
He scattered one run and five hits in six innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Alex Jackson had two hits for Minnesota, while Chase Meidroth had two for Chicago.
