CHICAGO — Max Kepler homered against White Sox ace Lucas Giolito in his first two at-bats and the Minnesota Twins beat Chicago 10-5 on Friday night in the clubs' first game of a 60-game season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.
White Sox slugger Yoán Moncada had three hits, including a three-run shot off José Berrios in the second inning that tied the game at 5.
Jorge Polanco answered with a two-run single in the fourth inning to put Minnesota ahead for good.
Giolito and Berrios struggled, and a duel between the All-Star right-handers never materialized.
Giolito (0-1) allowed seven runs, six hits and three walks before being pulled with two outs in the fourth in his first opening day start.
Berrios, making his second straight opening day start, didn’t fare much better in a no-decision. He yielded five runs and seven hits in four innings.
Trevor May (1-0), the first of four Twins relievers, pitched a scoreless fifth.
Jake Cave, who started in center field in place of injured Byron Buxton, had two hits and drove in two runs for Minnesota. Luis Arrraez also had two hits and had two RBIs as Minnesota pulled away with with three runs in the seventh.
Before the game, the White Sox recognized lives lost to the coronavirus and racial injustice with a long moment of silence and scoreboard video.
Just like in other fan-less ballparks on this virus-delayed opening day, Chicago and Minnesota players and staff lifted a thick black cord before the game that extended from the left field corner, around home plate and down the right field line.
During the national anthem, 10 Twins and seven White Sox players knelt.
The Twins tagged Giolito for four runs in his 31-pitch first inning — and picked up where they left off last season when they hit a major league record 307 homers.
Kepler lofted Giolito’s first pitch into the empty stands in right. Mitch Garver drove in a run with a sac fly and Cave plated two more with a sharp single.
After the White Sox cut it to 4-1 in the bottom of the first, Kepler launched a 2-2 pitch deep to right-center in the second for his ninth career multihomer game and a 5-1 Minnesota lead.
NICE DEBUT
Prized White Sox rookie Luis Robert made his major league debut in center field and singled on the first pitch he faced. He added a double in the eighth and finished 2 for 4.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Twins: CF Buxton (left foot sprain) wasn’t in the lineup but rejoined the Twins before the game. Manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton “was running very well” but wasn’t 100%.
White Sox: OF Nomar Mazara was placed on the 10-day IL on Wednesday and the White Sox didn’t announce a reason. Mazara, acquired from Texas in an offseason trade, is tabbed as Chicago’s starting right fielder. Nicky Delmonico started in his place.
UP NEXT
Chicago’s big-ticket offseason addition, LHP Dallas Keuchel, will start on Saturday. RHP Randy Dobnak will pitch in place of Twins LHP Rich Hill, who was scratched during Friday’s game. The 40-year-old Hill was scheduled to take the mound following offseason elbow surgery and signing a one-year, $3 million free agent deal with Minnesota in December.
