Twins hand White Sox 18th loss in a row with three home runs, Joe Ryan’s strong start

Royce Lewis was delayed returning to the clubhouse after the Twins’ 10-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday as he fulfilled a mandatory drug test.

He says he’s been tested seven times already. His latest one came after he hit a two-run homer to left field in the first inning and a two-run double to center in the third to carry the Twins offense before they exploded for six runs with two outs in the eighth inning.

“All they’re going to find in these veins is ice cream,” Lewis joked.

Lewis knows how to make it look easy, delivering a season-high four RBI. Joe Ryan, backed by early run support, gave up three hits and two runs in 6⅓ innings, and the Twins compiled their 10th victory in 11 games against the White Sox this year.

It was Lewis’ seventh homer in 11 home games this season.

“I think you’d see him putting up pretty good numbers if he was playing in outer space,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’d figure out a way to put up some well-struck balls.”

The White Sox, who have lost their past 10 games at Target Field, extended their franchise-record losing streak to 18 games. They have been outscored 112-39 during their streak. It’s the longest losing streak in the major leagues since Baltimore lost 19 games in a row in 2021.

It took seven batters between the Twins and White Sox before someone put a ball in play. Lewis, as usual, was worth the wait.

After Trevor Larnach drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first inning, Lewis connected with a full-count slider from White Sox starter Davis Martin. Lewis turned toward his teammates in the dugout as he hopped up the first-base line, smiling as he rounded the bases.

“He gave me two gifts from God and I only hit one out,” Lewis said. “I just missed the first one and luckily enough he threw me another one, exactly the same pitch.”

With one out in the third inning, Larnach singled to

center, and Byron Buxton drew a five-pitch walk. Lewis, on a first-pitch fastball, cleared the bases with a line drive to the center field wall. Standing on second base, Lewis cupped his left hand to his ear and pointed toward his teammates before he mimicked a steering wheel as a part of his “Rolls-Royce” celebration.

“Everyone likes the energy,” Baldelli said. “Frankly, his energy, everything he brings to the table — and I say this about [Byron Buxton] sometimes — it’s directed at his team, his teammates and getting everyone going. And they get going because, man, he can do a lot.”

The Twins didn’t add onto their lead until there were two outs in the eighth inning. Christian Vázquez dropped a two-run double in the left-center gap, a ball that seemingly hung in the air, but there may have been a miscommunication between left fielder Andrew Benintendi and center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

Five pitches after Vázquez doubled the Twins’ lead, Willi Castro launched a two-run homer to center field.

It didn’t stop there, either. Larnach drew a walk, prompting a pitching change, and Byron Buxton continued the two-out rally with a two-run homer to center off reliever Prelander Berroa.

Ryan, who retired his first seven hitters, totaled five strikeouts, one walk and only one ball out of the infield in his first time through the White Sox lineup. He surrendered a two-run homer to Miguel Vargas with two outs in the third inning on a full-count fastball, but that was the only damage against him.

“I think it’s a nice, real step for Joe Ryan at this point in his career to sit here and say, ‘We expect him to go out and pitch like that,’” Baldelli said.