Kepler lifts Twins over White Sox 6-5 for team's first 9-game win streak in 16 years

CHICAGO (AP) — Max Kepler drove in the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning for the second straight game, this time with a sacrifice fly, and the Minnesota Twins won their ninth in a row, 6-5 over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

The Twins extended their longest win streak since a 10-game run in June 2008. They also won their seventh in a row against the White Sox and put themselves in position to sweep Chicago again after taking four games at Target Field last week, though this one certainly wasn’t easy.

“Pretty tough bunch of guys,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I don't feel like we're one dimensional or two dimensional. I feel like we can win games in all the ways. ... It's fun to watch from the dugout right now.”

Chicago’s Andrew Benintendi homered leading off the eighth to tie it at 5 after Minnesota scored twice in the top half. But the Twins pulled it out in the ninth.

Byron Buxton walked leading off against Michael Kopech (0-3) and took third on Manuel Margot’s one-out single. Kepler, who hit a tiebreaking single in Monday's 3-2 win, then put Minnesota on top with a sacrifice fly to center.

Jhoan Duran pitched around a leadoff single by Tommy Pham in the bottom half and picked up the save after missing the Twins’ first 28 games because of a strained right oblique muscle. Caleb Thielbar (1-1) recorded the final two outs in the eighth.

“When we were struggling at the beginning of the year, you almost felt like we could never come back and win games like that,” said Carlos Correa, who hit an RBI single and scored in the eighth. “To be able to just bounce back, put some runs on the board, put some good at-bats together, play the way that we played — it shows a lot about where our confidence level is at, where we stand as a team and ... the resilience.”

The Twins didn’t get a hit until the fifth, when they scored twice and chased White Sox starter Michael Soroka.

Danny Mendick gave Chicago a 4-2 lead with a two-run homer against reliever Kody Funderburk in the fifth inning.

Ryan Jeffers swiped home for the Twins as part of a double steal in the sixth. Correa, in his second game back from a strained right rib cage muscle, hit an RBI single against Jordan Leasure in the eighth and scored on Trevor Larnach’s base hit to put Minnesota on top 5-4. But the Twins left the bases loaded when Kyle Farmer grounded into a force against Prelander Berroa.

Benintendi tied it when he led off against Cole Sands with his third homer. Mendick doubled, but Robbie Grossman struck out. Thielbar then retired Korey Lee on a pop fly and Nicky Lopez on a grounder.

The White Sox are a major league-worst 6-24 overall and 2-17 against the AL Central.

“I like what we are doing,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “I like the way we are playing. I like the energy. I like this is an area where we have to grow. We have to find ways to win those ballgames.”

Chicago had 12 hits but was 2 for 11 with men in scoring position. The White Sox stranded nine runners.

Soroka gave up two runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander has a 6.48 ERA through seven starts.

Minnesota's Simeon Woods Richardson went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and seven hits. The 23-year-old right-hander threw 81 pitches in his fourth career start and third this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: Duran was reinstated from the 15-day injured list prior to the game. He was hurt while warming up for a live batting practice session in spring training on March 17.

UP NEXT

The three-game series wraps up with RHP Bailey Ober (2-1, 4.21 ERA) pitching for Minnesota and RHP Chris Flexen (1-3, 5.11) getting the ball for Chicago. Ober has a 1.48 ERA in four starts since getting pounded in a loss at Kansas City on March 31. Flexen threw five scoreless innings in a win over Tampa Bay last week.

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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Soroka throws against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol stands in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Twins' Willi Castro celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a double from Kyle Farmer during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Trevor Larnach celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a triple from Twins' Willi Castro during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler, left, gets caught between bases by Chicago White Sox catcher Martín Maldonado and is tagged out by third baseman Nicky Lopez during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Minnesota Twins right fielder Max Kepler, center, gets caught between bases by Chicago White Sox catcher Martín Maldonado, left, and third baseman Nicky Lopez during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's Martín Maldonado is tagged out a home by Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers during the third inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's Danny Mendick runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Powerful storms that rolled through the Midwest spun up multiple tornadoes, including a fierce twister that smashed through a small Iowa town Tuesday, carving a bleak landscape of destroyed homes and businesses, toppled trees, smashed cars and widely strewn debris and causing an unknown number of injuries.

Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Alex Dinkla said multiple people were injured in Greenfield, a town of about 2,000 around 55 miles (88.5 kilometers) southwest of Des Moines, and there was a lot of damage in town. He didn’t know the extent of the injuries.

In the aftermath of the storm, parts of Greenfield appeared devastated. Mounds of broken wood, branches, car parts and other debris littered lots where homes once stood. Cars lay busted and bent while damaged houses sat skewed against the gray and overcast sky. Trees stood — barely — bereft of branches or leaves.

Multiple tornadoes were reported throughout the state, and one also apparently took down several 250-foot (76 meters) wind turbines. Des Moines, Iowa, television station KCCI-TV showed at least three wind turbines that were toppled by an apparent tornado in southwest Iowa, and at least one was in flames with black smoke pluming from the bent structure.

Wind farms are built to withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and other powerful winds. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turbines are designed shut off when winds exceed certain thresholds, typically around 55 mph (88.5 kph). They also lock and feather their blades, and turn into the wind, to minimize the strain.

The Adair County Health System hospital in Greenfield was damaged in the storm, but Mercy One spokesman Todd Mizener said he had no further details. The hospital is affiliated with Mercy One, and officials were on their way to Greenfield to assess the damage.

Mary Long, the owner of Long’s Market in downtown Greenfield, said she rode out the storm at her business in the community’s historic town square, which largely escaped damage. Long said there appeared to be widespread damage on the east and south sides of town.

“I could hear this roaring, like the proverbial freight train, and then it was just done,” she said.

Camille Blair said the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce office where she works closed around 2 p.m. ahead of the storm. She emerged from her home to describe widespread damage and scattered debris.

“There’s a pretty significant roof damage to several houses that I know will need whole new roofs," she said. "And I can see from my house it kind of went in a straight line down the road.”

In far southwestern Iowa, video posted to social media showed a tornado just northwest of Red Oak. Further east and north, the National Weather Service issued multiple tornado warnings for areas near the towns of Griswold, Corning, Fontanelle and Guthrie Center, among others.

Iowa was already braced for severe weather after the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center gave most of the state a high chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with the potential for strong tornadoes. Des Moines public schools ended classes two hours early and canceled all evening activities ahead of the storms.

Earlier in the day, residents to the west in Omaha, Nebraska, awoke to weather sirens blaring and widespread power outages as torrential rain, high winds and large hail pummeled the area. The deluge of more than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain in less than two hours flooded basements and submerged cars. Television station KETV showed firefighters arriving to rescue people from vehicles.

In Illinois, dust storms forced authorities to shut down stretches of two interstates due to low visibility. Winds gusts of between 35 mph (56 kph) and 45 mph (74 kph) hit the McLean area, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Schaffer.

“There is no visibility at times,” state police posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The storms followed days of extreme weather that have ravaged much of the middle section of the country. Strong winds, large hail and tornadoes swept parts of Oklahoma and Kansas late Sunday, damaging homes and injuring two in Oklahoma.

Another round of storms Monday night raked Colorado and western Nebraska and saw the city of Yuma, Colorado, blanketed in hail the size of baseballs and golf balls, turning streets into rivers of water and ice. Front-end loaders were used to move half-foot deep (1.83 meters deep) hail Tuesday.

Last week, deadly storms hit the Houston area in Texas, killing at least seven. Those storms Thursday knocked out power to hundreds of thousands for days, leaving those Texans in the dark and without air conditioning during hot and humid weather. Hurricane-force winds reduced businesses and other structures to debris and shattered glass in downtown skyscrapers.

Tuesday's storms were expected to bring much of the same high winds, heavy rain and large hail to Minnesota and part of northern Missouri, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service.

He said the system is expected to turn south on Wednesday, bringing more severe weather to parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and southern Missouri.

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McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa, and Beck reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Josh Funk in Omaha and Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed to this report.

This image provided by JJ Unger, shows hail damage to the window of vehicle, Monday night, May 20, 2024, in Yuma, Colo. Residents in the small city in northeastern Colorado were cleaning up Tuesday after hail the size of baseballs and golf balls pounded the community, with heavy construction equipment and snow shovels being used to clear hail that had piled up knee-deep the night before. (JJ Unger via AP)

This image taken from video provided by JJ Unger, shows hail damage to a window of vehicle, Monday night, May 20, 2024, in Yuma, Colo. Residents in the small city in northeastern Colorado were cleaning up Tuesday after hail the size of baseballs and golf balls pounded the community, with heavy construction equipment and snow shovels being used to clear hail that had piled up knee-deep the night before. (JJ Unger via AP)

This image provided by JJ Unger, shows hail surrounding a vehicle, Monday night, May 20, 2024, in Yuma, Colo. Residents in the small city in northeastern Colorado were cleaning up Tuesday after hail the size of baseballs and golf balls pounded the community, with heavy construction equipment and snow shovels being used to clear hail that had piled up knee-deep the night before. (JJ Unger via AP)

Workers clean out shattered glass at the Wells Fargo building as clean up from the previous week's storm continues in downtown Houston, Monday, May 20, 2024. The city closed off streets in a six-block exclusion zone downtown, from McKinney to Polk and from Smith to Travis to ease traffic around the area where broken glass and debris are prevalent. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A police officer and an employee of nearby Dingman's Collision Center push a car that had been caught in flood waters in Omaha, Neb. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)

An early-morning storm knock tree branches onto the Pacific Street sign on 42nd Street in Omaha, Neb. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Heavy machinery clears debris washed out by flooding from nearby construction sites in Omaha, Neb. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Water pours out of a parking lot onto the ground in Omaha, Neb. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (Chris Machian /Omaha World-Herald via AP)