CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox watched manager Tony La Russa announce he was leaving his position, and then beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Monday night behind Johnny Cueto's seven effective innings.
La Russa stepped down because of a pair of health issues, punctuating a disappointing season for the Hall of Famer in the same spot where he got his first job as a big league skipper. The White Sox are 80-80 after beginning the year with championship aspirations.
La Russa met with his team before announcing the move, and the players joined their former manager for his press conference about the decision.
“The last thing I said to the players in the meeting was that I love them,” said La Russa, a three-time World Series champion who turns 78 on Tuesday. “I can’t be more thankful.”
Josh Harrison hit a two-run homer in Chicago's fourth win in five games. Cueto (8-10) stopped a personal four-game slide, and Liam Hendriks got three outs for his 37th save.
Minnesota dropped to 9-19 in its last 28 games. Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer, and Bailey Ober pitched five innings of two-hit ball.
The game was tied at 2 before Carlos Pérez drove in AJ Pollock with a two-out RBI single against Griffin Jax (7-4) in the seventh.
The Twins loaded the bases with two out in the ninth, but Hendriks struck out Mark Contreras swinging to close it out.
Minnesota jumped in front in the first. Nick Gordon hit a two-out double and scored on Urshela's 13th homer, a drive to right on a 1-1 pitch.
But that was it for the Twins against Cueto, who struck out four and walked none. The right-hander was shaken up after fielding Matt Wallner's two-out infield single in the seventh, but he got Gilbert Celestino to bounce to third on his next pitch.
Chicago rallied in the second. With Pollock aboard on a one-out single, Harrison's drive traveled just over the wall in left for his seventh homer.
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