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White Sox hit six homers, power past Twins

Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal pumps his fist as he celebrates a home run against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Photo by Mark Black/UPI
1 of 6 | Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal pumps his fist as he celebrates a home run against the Minnesota Twins Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Photo by Mark Black/UPI | License Photo

July 1 (UPI) -- The Chicago White Sox used six home runs, including two by catcher Yasmani Grandal, to outslug the Minnesota Twins and extend their win streak to three games.

Brian Goodwin, Andrew Vaughn, Jose Abreu and Gavin Sheets were the other White Sox players to homer in the 13-3 win Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Grandal went 2 for 5 with five RBIs and two runs scored in the blowout.

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"Whoever comes in here and tries to take us lightly is in for a rude awakening," Grandal told reporters.

The game featured a total of nine long balls, with Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz and Gilberto Celestino homering for the Twins.

"We were taking whacks up and down the lineup and giving ourselves a chance," White Sox manager Tony La Russa told reporters. "A lot of fireworks because some guys had terrific swings."

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Donaldson was the first player to leave the ballpark. White Sox starter Dylan Cease retired Luis Arraez to start the game. The right-handed pitcher then worked up an even count against Donaldson.

The Twins third baseman hit Cease's third offering to left field for a 409-foot solo homer.

The White Sox responded with two homers in the second. Goodwin clubbed the first blast off Twins starter Bailey Ober in the second at-bat of the inning. Goodwin's 382-foot solo shot to right field tied the score.

Ober walked Yermin Mercedes in the next at-bat. Vaughn smashed a 409-foot homer to center field two at-bats later for a 3-1 White Sox lead.

Abreu added to the advantage with a 346-foot solo shot off Ober in the third. Vaughn brought in the White Sox's fifth run with an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Grandal hit his first homer of the game, a three-run shot, off Twins relief pitcher Matt Shoemaker in the bottom of the fifth.

The White Sox catcher hit that 2-2 knuckle-curveball to left center field for a 398-foot homer. Sheets smacked a 429-foot solo shot off Shoemaker three at-bats later for a 10-1 White Sox lead.

Shortstop Tim Anderson plated the final run of the frame with a single to center field.

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Cruz brought in the second Twins run with a 453-foot solo homer to left field in the top of the sixth. Grandal responded with his second homer in the bottom of the inning. That two-run shot to right field traveled an estimated 447 feet.

Celestino plated the final run of the game with a 412-foot solo shot to center field in the top of the eighth.

Vaughn went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the win. Sheets also recorded two hits and drove in two runs for the White Sox.

Cease allowed three hits and two runs in six innings to improve to 7-3 in 2021. Ober allowed four hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings to drop to 0-1.

"For the most part, I felt like I had a really good feel," Cease told reporters. "I went through a little lull in the second or third, but I was able to make the adjustment and have a quality game."

The White Sox (47-32) host the Twins (33-45) at 2:10 p.m. EDT Thursday in Chicago.

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