Twins starter Hector Santiago and three relievers combined to shutout the Chicago White Sox 6-0 on Saturday, limiting the Pale Hose to four hits.
For Santiago, it was by far his best start for the Twins since coming to the club from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for Ricky Nolasco in August. He went 10-4 with a 4.25 ERA, including a 6-0 mark in July, before he arrived in the Twin cities. After that, he struggled with the Twins and finished the season 3-6 with a 5.58 ERA, according to MLB.com.
But he picked up his third win Saturday and got that ERA under 6.00 after he held the White Sox to three hits over six-plus innings with six strikeouts. Three relievers shutout the White Sox the rest of the way. Santiago, who came up with the White Sox, has had success against his old club, improving to 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in four starts, according to MLB.com.
“In the last two years, I’ve pitched really well against them,” Santiago told MLB.com. “I know these guys and know their entire staff. I came up through the organization with a lot of those guys. I don’t know, maybe I have a chip on my shoulder after being traded.”
Santiago & Co. were backed by three extra-base hits, including home runs from Jorge Polanco and Byron Buxton, his ninth.
Jose Berrios, who has proven he can win in the minors if not the majors, gets the ball on Sunday for the final game of the 2016 season. Show us you belong, Jose.
Extra innings…
-The Twins improved to 58-103.
-The Twins face Chris Sale on Sunday, one of the more dominant pitchers in all of baseball with 17 wins and a 3.21 ERA. He also has struck out 200-plus batters for the fourth straight season. But believe it or not, the Twins have had some success against Sale. In 15 starts, he is 8-5 with a 4.05 ERA vs. the club.
-As bad as this season has been for the Twins, no pitcher has more than 12 losses. That’s not the case for James Shields of the White Sox. He lost his 19th game Saturday.