White Sox restrained after clinching playoff spot

AMERICAN LEAGUE WHITE SOX 4, TWINS 3

CHICAGO — After clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2008, the Chicago White Sox were low key during their on-field celebration.

Bigger bashes await greater achievements.

“We said we’re going to save it for when we clinch our division,” Eloy Jimenez said Thursday after his tiebreaking double capped a two-run, seventh-inning rally in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. “We have 10 games left. We need to keep playing hard.”

Chicago (33-17) opened a threegame lead over the second-place Twins (31-21) in the American League Central. The White Sox assured themselves of no worse than a wild-card berth.

Jose Abreu homered and drove in two runs and Edwin Encarnacion also homered for Chicago, which won three of four in the series.

“We’re definitely bringing excitement back to the South Side,” shortstop Tim Anderson said.

Chicago trailed 3-2 in the seventh when Abreu, who leads the major leagues with 51 RBI, beat out an infield hit on a slow grounder to short- stop that drove in Jarrod Dyson from third base.

Jimenez, who had struck out in his three previous at-bats, followed with a double that drove in pinch-runner Yolmer Sanchez.

Byron Buxton homered twice, giving him seven in his last nine games and 12 this season. Josh Donaldson also went deep for Minnesota, whose lead for home-field advantage in the first round was cut to 11/2 games over the New York Yankees.

Donaldson barked at plate umpire Dan Bellino for the second time in the sixth inning after a strike was called on a checked swing on a 2-0 pitch. After Manager Rocco Baldelli came out to speak with Bellino, Donaldson homered on the next offering and kicked dirt at home plate as he crossed it after rounding the bases.

Bellino ejected him immediately, and Donaldson, realizing he had missed home plate, returned to the plate to touch it and then argued as he kicked more dirt on it. Donaldson also had argued with Bellino on a 1-1 breaking ball in the first inning that appeared to be high but was called a strike, leading to a strikeout.