White Sox walk it off vs. Twins, then don't, then walk it off again

CHICAGO – Jorge Lopez's hand didn't hurt, despite taking a real beating.

While his soft-spoken demeanor had returned by the time he addressed the media after a crazy bottom of the ninth inning saw the Twins lose in a walkoff — twice — against the White Sox, Lopez was anything but calm as the fireworks at Guaranteed Rate Field popped off for the second time Friday.

He crouched down and banged his throwing fist into the ground a couple times, all while White Sox players streamed around him, running across the grass in celebration from Jose Abreu's fielder's choice that brought home the winning run for a 4-3 Chicago victory.

"I mean, I still can move it. I'm still healthy, so that's a good thing," Lopez said, flexing his hand that experienced — and delivered — some late-game trauma. "Things got out of control. I have to get better for sure. Tight situation. Big closers stay compact within themselves. … I've got to be a man and just close, just keep walking to my clubhouse."

The "angry moment," as Lopez called it, developed soon after the All-Star closer nabbed the first out with the score still tied 3-3. He then gave up back-to-back singles and hit Andrew Vaughn with a high pitch to load the bases. The White Sox did not appreciate that and seemed to think there was some ill intent, causing both benches and bullpens to clear.

Lopez said he could tell Vaughn was upset and told him, "Hey, you know I've been throwing inside the whole year,' " by way of explanation. But that likely looked like he was starting an argument, which spurred the White Sox to come defend their teammate. Lopez maintained he wasn't going to change the way he pitches. But he would have done some other aspects of that interaction differently.

"Embarrassed, for sure. My family, for sure. The kid sees that, and it's something we try to get off this game to not fight," Lopez said. "… We don't want to teach that, for sure, outside the game. For sure, it's something that I take the time of hitting the guy and the argument about it. I have to be careful next time to argue."

Two pitches later, though, Abreu still won the game. Lopez might have derailed a double play on that as well — the ball would have tracked right to Nick Gordon at second, but Lopez deflected the ball with his glove.

With only 33 games left in the season and just about a month left before the playoffs, Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field was the first of 26 games for the Twins against divisional opponents in the next month. The Guardians, Twins and White Sox are all bunched at the top, and if the Twins had won Friday, they could have claimed a share of first place with Cleveland for the first time since early August.

Instead, they are a game back at 67-63 while the White Sox improved to 66-66 and moved to three games behind in the American League Central. And these teams will face each other eight more times before the end of the regular season, now with much more added tension.

"It's an emotional game, and both teams are just trying to win," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "And there are probably more emotions out there than normal on both sides."

The Twins put up eight hits to the White Sox' 11, though Gordon again carried he offensive load with a two-run double in the first off White Sox opener Joe Kelly and a RBI on his groundout in the eighth.

Gray left the game after four innings because of right hamstring tightness. He first felt it on the last pitch of the third inning and stretched it out in the training room between innings. He said it wasn't too bothersome in the fourth, but out of precaution, Baldelli pulled him.

Gray missed the end-of-game drama, calling it "wild" from what he saw on the clubhouse TV. Gordon experienced it live on the field. And he, at least, found it to be riveting entertainment.

"Honestly, I love that kind of stuff. I love the intensity, the energy of a game like that," Gordon said. "Just to hear the crowd rowdy and to see us even get a little rowdy, I love it. No one was hurt, so that's always a positive.