There are still several hours left in the month of March, but the White Sox have already matched their win total against the Twins from last season.
After going 1-12 against Minnesota to account for a big part of their 121-loss season, the White Sox are 1-0 against their AL Central rivals in 2025, and in a way that maximized the early despair.
The Twins came into this game 0-3 after an ugly sweep in St. Louis, capped off by Bailey Ober giving up eight runs over 2⅔ innings on Sunday. To the extent that Chris Paddack fared better this afternoon, it's only because he was tasked with wearing it.
Andrew Vaughn scorched a line drive that barely cleared the left-field wall for a three-run shot in the first inning, and it didn't get any easier. The Sox homered in each of the first three innings, and Paddack exited after 3⅓ and 89 pitches.
Meanwhile, former Twin Martín Pérez pitched six no-hit innings and tied a career high with nine strikeouts in his White Sox debut. With both teams subbing out their regulars to get through the remainder of the afternoon, the only question was whether the White Sox would be able to see the no-hitter all the way through.
"They asked me how I feel," Pérez said postgame. "I told them I feel great, but I was honest too. There’s no way I can go three more innings with that kind of [pitch count]. It’s too early and I think it’s a long season. So, we have to think in the future, not now."
Will Venable ended Pérez's afternoon after 93 pitches and went to Mike Vasil for his MLB debut, and Willi Castro notched an opposite-field single with two outs in the seventh to spoil the bid for a combined no-no. Vasil was able to pitch around some bad luck in the eighth, and Brandon Eisert worked around a walk in the ninth to secure the consolation prize of a shutout.
"I got my first strikeout," Vasil said, confusedly sorting through seven different authenticated baseballs from his his debut. "All these other balls, I’m not quite sure what they are. I do know they were in my hand at one point and they all mean something. I gotta figure all that out."
Only 10,423 fans were on hand for a Monday day game with a first-pitch temperature of 39 degrees, but the sun came out in more ways than one. The White Sox effectively put the game away in the second inning with a stirring sequence. It could've been demoralizing when Jake Amaya followed consecutive singles with a bunt that resulted in a force at third. But he and Michael A. Taylor executed a double steal to achieve the original goal of moving the runners up, and after a Miguel Vargas walk, Luis Robert Jr. finished the manufacturing portion of the inning with a sac fly to left that made it 4-0.
"Just a really good process from our advanced meeting and the work that [first base coach Jason Bourgeois] did in highlighting that as an opportunity for us, and then Michael going and executing was really nice to see," said Will Venable of the double steal.
One pitch later, it was 7-0. Paddack tried starting Andrew Benintendi with a changeup, and though it was decently located, Benintendi was ready for it. He scooped it over the right field wall for his second three-run homer of the season, and the rout was on.
Taylor then made it 9-0 in the third by sending a 92-mph fastball over the outstretched glove of a leaping Byron Buxton for a two-run shot to conclude the day's scoring.
Pérez had a hand in that. He only topped out at 89.9 mph, but he kept the Twins off-balance with a balanced number of cutters (32), sinkers (29) and changeups (27), rounded out with a handful of show-me curves. Beyond the unpredictable sequencing, Pérez had a lot of success staying away. He spent a lot of time on the outside corner with back-door cutters, and the sinker was used to get inside when he needed to mix it up.
Pérez joined Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon and Davis Martin in making it through five innings or more without an earned run. It's been a pretty special first four games in that regard.
The White Sox are the 4th team to have their starters not allow an earned run in each of their first 4 games of a season, since ER official in both leagues (1913), joining:2019 TOR2013 SF1976 MIL
— (@slangsonsports.bsky.social) 2025-03-31T21:48:48.110Z
The Twins ended up closing the game with Willi Castro throwing eephuses. He the second position player to pitch against the White Sox after Nicky Lopez did so Opening Day, so the surprises keep coming.
Bullet points:
*Vargas had an effective game at the top of the order. He went 1-for-2 with two walks, and saw 29 pitches over his four plate appearances.
"I feel like I'm always good with the strike zone," Vargas said postgame. "Obviously now that I'm a leadoff hitter, I try to be more patient and try to see as many pitches as I can and have my spot on the plate, and if I see a strike, I just swing it."
*Nick Maton boxed a chopper with two outs in the eighth for an error that extended Vasil's inning by nine pitches, although he probably wouldn't have been allowed to go for the three-inning save regardless.
*The White Sox had a fine day in the field otherwise. Amaya rebounded from his game-opening error on Sunday with a few nice plays today, including a leaping grab to his right, a cross-body throw on a slow chopper, and a tricky pick on a weird hop.
*Austin Slater pinch-hit for Robert and singled with two outs, but he failed to realize there were two outs when Korey Lee followed with a flare to the right side. He initially retreated to first bae and bumped into Ty France, and after Rocco Baldelli protested, the umpires convened and ruled interference. That was the only classic White Sox moment of the afternoon.
*Venable used every White Sox position player when Brooks Baldwin entered the game to pinch-hit for Vargas, and he padded his stats against the position player pitching by legging out an infield single.
