Twins bullpen can't hold lead against White Sox

CHICAGO – The Twins finally got to Chris Sale on Friday night. In fact, the White Sox ace matched his worst performance of the year.

And the Twins still couldn't capitalize.

A laborious outing by lefthander Logan Darnell combined with an inability to turn double plays and a rare bullpen meltdown led to a 10-8 loss to the White Sox. The Twins fell to 4-10 since the All-Star break.

Chicago rookie Jose Abreu ran his hitting streak to 21 games. Tyler Flowers hit a home run.

The White Sox led 2-0 in the third when the Twins erupted for five runs off Sale, including a two-run ground rule double by Kennys Vargas that was his first major league hit. Vargas scored on a groundout to give the Twins a 5-2 lead. Sale entered the game 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in this career against the Twins.

"I knew I had to go back out there and put zeros up," Darnell said. "I didn't do that. So that's on me."

It's on the Twins defense, too. They twice had chances to turn double plays in the third but failed each time. Conor Gillespie made them pay with a RBI double. The next inning, Adam Eaton hustled to first to avoid a double play and eventually scored on Abreu's single. Flowers' homer in the fifth off Anthony Swarzak tied the score at 5-5. Alexei Ramirez's RBI double in the sixth put Chicago ahead 6-5.

Twins relievers gave up six earned runs Friday, the most since they gave up five earned runs on June 8 against Houston.

"Our bullpen, which has been absolutely fantastic for us, just had a rough night," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "And you have to credit the guys on that side. Every mistake we made they whacked."

Sale needed 107 pitches to get through six innings. The five runs, four earned, he gave up matched his worst outing of the year, June 7 at the Angels. The eight hits were the second-most he has given up this year.

Joe Mauer and Ricky Nolasco are both headed to Class A Cedar Rapids early next week to begin rehabilitation assignments. Mauer will be managed there by his older brother Jake — if Jake lets him play. "He'll have to suck up to the manager," said Rob Antony, Twins assistant general manager.

Mauer, who has missed 26 games because of a strained oblique muscle, will drive to Cedar Rapids on Sunday, work out on Monday, then start playing on Tuesday. He will alternate between first base and designated hitter. He could rejoin the Twins on Aug. 11 in Houston but, if he needs more time, he could move up to Class AAA Rochester.