Chicago @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2016 ) Chi. White Sox 3, Minnesota 11

The Minnesota Twins have been out of the postseason race for the last few months and are just trying to see what they have for the future with a roster full of talented youngsters. Those young players were on display in a win on Saturday and will try to guide the Twins to a series victory when they host the Chicago White Sox in the finale of a four-game set on Sunday.

Minnesota hoped to get more out of the likes of Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton earlier in the season but can at least be encouraged by their play of late after both homered in Saturday’s 11-3 triumph. Buxton, who was once the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, was recalled on Sept. 1 and is 6-for-10 with two home runs, five runs scored and five RBIs in the series after being bounced back to the minors while hitting .193 on Aug. 5. The White Sox are stumbling down the stretch of their own disappointing campaign and are 1-5 on their seven-game road trip. Chicago’s staff is surrendering an average of 6.3 runs on the trip, and the team is 29-42 on the road overall.

TV: 2:10 ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Anthony Ranaudo (1-1, 8.76 ERA) vs. Twins LH Andrew Albers (0-0, 6.97)

Ranaudo has yet to earn a win in four starts since joining Chicago and allowed three runs on five hits – one home run - and three walks in five innings at Detroit on Tuesday. That marked the third straight time that the LSU product failed to complete six innings and gave him six home runs allowed in 21 innings with the team. Ranaudo has never faced Minnesota and is 1-1 with a 6.50 ERA on the road this season.

Albers made his first major-league start since 2013 at Cleveland on Tuesday and was ripped for four runs and six hits in two innings. The 30-year-old Canadian fared better in longer stints out of the bullpen earlier in August, allowing a total of four earned runs in 8 1/3 innings over two appearances. Albers went 10-6 with a 3.69 ERA in 21 starts for Triple-A Rochester this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 2B Brian Dozier homered in each of the last two games to boost his career-best season total to 34.

2. Chicago SS Tim Anderson (calf) returned to the lineup on Saturday and went 1-for-4 after sitting out Friday.

3. Minnesota 3B Trevor Plouffe has homered twice in the series and in four of his last nine games overall.

PREDICTION: Twins 10, White Sox 8