MINNEAPOLIS — Matt Wallner hit a two-run homer, Bailey Ober had a career-high 10 strikeouts and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Ober (2-3) threw a career-high 7 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits.
Wallner, the rookie outfielder from nearby Forest Lake, hit a towering homer in the sixth inning. It was his second homer in his 11th career game and first at home. Jose Miranda added three hits for Minnesota.
Lance Lynn (7-7) gave up four runs on 10 hits in five-plus innings for Chicago. White Sox interim manager Miguel Cairo was ejected following Wallner’s homer.
Lynn seemed upset with third-base umpire Brennan Miller as Wallner checked his swing and Miller said Wallner didn’t go around. Wallner homered later in the at-bat, ending Lynn’s night. Cairo spoke with umpires as he went to pull Lynn from the game and was ejected.
What was supposed to be an important division matchup in the final weeks of the season started with less drama than expected.
The Twins fell out of the race by losing nine of 11 games coming in. Chicago has lost seven in a row and started the day a combination of three losses or Seattle Mariners wins from being eliminated from postseason contention.
Ober is trying to finish off the season strong after coming back from the injured list. He missed more than three months with a right groin strain. He’s allowed 10 hits and three runs over 17 1/3 innings in three starts since his return.
The 6-foot-9 right-hander didn’t allow a hit until Yoán Moncada’s one-out double in the fourth. Ober struck out four of the first six batters he faced and twice struck out the side. He struck out five batters in a row at one point.
Chicago struck out 14 times in the game.
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