CHICAGO — The Twins’ winning streak lives on.

After seven straight games in which the Twins scored at least five runs, it looked as if their offense had met its match in starter Garrett Crochet and the White Sox bullpen on Monday. Through the first eight innings of the game, Minnesota had managed just two hits.

But in the ninth, the offense came alive. Byron Buxton hit a leadoff double and Max Kepler brought him home with a clutch single, helping propel the Twins to a 3-2 win over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.

It was Minnesota’s eighth straight win — a feat which it has not accomplished since 2011 — lifting the Twins to two games above .500 on the season.

Though the offense was quieted through the middle innings — Crochet went five frames, retiring the last 11 batters he faced — it just did enough early to keep Minnesota competitive.

Carlos Santana hit his fourth home run in five days, this one a two-run shot. As he returned back to the Twins’ dugout, Santana was greeted by Ryan Jeffers near the top step. Jeffers threw the Twins’ good-luck sausage to him and Santana leapt up to snag it.

That home run tied the game shortly after Minnesota starter Joe Ryan had gotten in trouble in the first inning.

The first three batters Ryan faced all collected hits and by the time he had gotten out of the first, the Twins were trailing by two. But Ryan was nearly untouchable after that, pitching six innings and giving up just three more hits.

He took a no-decision, though he kept the team in position his team to win.

After his departure, Brock Stewart pitched a perfect seventh. Griffin Jax (2-2) worked around some trouble in the eighth to keep the game tied and Caleb Thielbar came in for his second save. Thielbar allowed a pair of baserunners before striking out Korey Lee to end the game.

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