Correa homer helps Twins stop White Sox 5-1, avoid series sweep

CHICAGO — When Carlos Correa delivered a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and Jose Miranda knocked a two-run double in the ninth, there was only one explanation for why solely Puerto Ricans were responsible for all the Twins' RBI in a 5-1 victory Sunday at the White Sox.

It was the Daddy Yankee effect, obviously.

"I mean, when you think about it that way," Miranda mused of the Puerto Rican rapper, who is a worldwide superstar in Spanish music. "It's pretty cool. He was here, and we did that. So it is fun. Maybe we did it for him."

The victory was needed, as most are with a month left in the season. The Twins (68-64) had dropped the first two games of the series in cringeworthy fashion: a walkoff loss and a very near no-hitter. Winning Sunday left them with a two-game lead on the 67-67 White Sox in the American League Central. The Twins were a half-game behind the Guardians, who were in a rain delay Sunday against the Mariners.

MLB standings

And it's all because of Daddy Yankee, who stopped by Guaranteed Rate Field ahead of his Sunday night concert in the Chicago area. Well, to be fair, the Twins also played "clean" and "beautiful all-around" baseball, per Correa, which helped.

After putting up just one hit Saturday against Dylan Cease, the Twins stacked up six on Sunday starter Lucas Giolito, including Correa's breakthrough homer. The Twins outhit the White Sox 12-7. Beyond Correa's and Miranda's contributions, Max Kepler scored the other run, on an eighth-inning wild pitch.

The Twins' pitching was equally impressive. Winner Dylan Bundy (8-6) threw 71% strikes through his 66 pitches and five innings, giving up only two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He held the White Sox scoreless, and not until Michael Fulmer came in for the seventh did Chicago threaten to mount a comeback.

Fullmer gave up a double, single and RBI double, all with one out, making the score 2-1. And that necessitated Twins manager Rocco Baldelli bringing in top reliever Jhoan Duran. With runners on second and third, Duran deftly handled a squeeze bunt, feeding catcher Gary Sanchez for the tag out at home, before striking out Romy Gonzalez.

"I like to come into those moments, not the pressure, but the fans. You know they're against you, and everybody in the stadium's against you. I use that as motivation," Duran said in Spanish through an interpreter. "It's a positive thing for me. It helps my mind-set, how do I attack the hitters, all that stuff."

Correa said the 24-year-old Duran — who regularly throws upward of 100 mph, even on non-fastballs — is "on top of the game right now" and named him as one of the most elite bullpen arms in MLB, alongside Mets reliever Edwin Diaz.

BOXSCORE: Twins 5, Chicago 1

Duran is Dominican, and he, too, appreciated the rare opportunity pregame to meet Daddy Yankee, whom he called a legend in Latin culture. The 45-year-old rapper actually once tried out for the Mariners before focusing on music, and now he's sold about 20 million records, including big hits like 2004's "Gasolina" and 2017's "Despacito."

Those songs have surely been on the Twins' clubhouse and warmup playlists at various points this season. And the man himself made a real-life appearance in the Twins clubhouse Sunday, as Miranda showed him around and introduced him to Baldelli. Baldelli said he knew of Daddy Yankee's music but became a true fan Sunday after realizing what a gracious and nice guys he is.

Miranda was especially thrilled that Daddy Yankee knew who he was, even mentioned some of his stats to him. And perhaps this is not where the King of Reggaeton's influence on the Twins ends.

He didn't choose his stage name because he's a fan of a certain powerhouse big-market team the Twins happen to be starting a four-game series at Monday. It's actually Puerto Rican slang for "big shot."

And the Twins will definitely need a lot of those against the Yankees.

"Ooh, maybe," Correa said of the artist being a team good luck charm now. "I'll have to text him and tell him to go to New York with us."