The Chicago White Sox were mounting a charge in their attempt to end their futile streak Sunday. After falling behind 8-0, Chicago scored the game’s next three runs and were threatening for more in the sixth inning.

Luis Robert Jr. was at the dish with two out and two runners on base when he drove a ball to center field.

Twins center fielder Byron Buxton raced back toward the wall, gauged his location and leapt. He hauled in the catch to end the threat and — as he’s wont to do — crashed into the wall as he squeezed his glove.

“Just the point of the game, trying to save runs and just turn that momentum around,” Buxton said. “Just one of those things where I’m trying to make a play and get us in the dugout for some at-bats, and just happy to hold onto the ball.”

Buxton added jumping into the wall is “part of the job — if you love it.”

After Buxton crashed into the wall, he went down to the ground, where he stayed momentarily. The initial reaction of the Target Field crowd was amazement, which quickly shifted to concern. But as Buxton then got up and ran toward the dugout, appreciation was evident. Fans rose to their feet and the Twins’ players stood outside of the dugout, all clapping for the effort they just witnessed.

“He almost makes it look normal. You see it all the time. When you have a Platinum Glover out there, he makes those plays look easy,” Twins pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson said. “So to have somebody out there like that who wants to run through a wall — who will run through a wall — is something special.”

Buxton was set to lead off for the Twins in the bottom of the sixth but didn’t. Manuel Margot pinch hit for him and then took over in center, which quickly led to speculation as to whether Buxton — who’s already played 85 games this season — was hurt.

Those concerns were put to rest postgame when manager Rocco Baldelli said Buxton was pulled for “precautionary reasons.”

“He didn’t get up that fast. Normally he gets up fast. If it was not as bad as it looked, he’ll just pop right up and jog in,” Baldelli said. “I think he hit the wall pretty hard and the last thing I want to do is find out we sent him up to the plate and shouldn’t have. … With the situation we were in, I wanted to make sure we got him fully looked over. He’s made a lot of good plays this year. That’s up there with the best of them.”

Baldelli said Buxton was looked at by trainers and there are no concerns beyond his lower back being “a little tight.”

Buxton was asked if he’d have to “wait and see” if he’d be available for the coming games in Chicago against the Cubs.

“Wait and see what?” Buxton asked.

“How you feel,” the reporter responded.

“I feel fine,” he said. “I’m smiling, I’m standing. Normally you don’t see me here (in the clubhouse postgame), do you?”

Indeed not. Buxton was making a statement with his presence. He made a play, he survived it and he was good to go. That’s been a constant for much of the Twins’ season, and is a reason Minnesota is currently in a position to make a postseason push.

“It makes the team feel like our muscles are bigger, you know what I mean? He singlehandedly does these types of things because he just makes us better,” Baldelli said. “The energy that he brings, it’s not like something that the guys in the clubhouse don’t feel. They feel it in a big way. When he’s out in center field for us, defensively he just makes everything more solid. When he comes to the plate swinging the bat the way that he is — I mean, he’s gotten himself to a really fantastic offensive place this year. He’s driving the ball, he’s hitting the ball, backing the ball up really well. He’s hitting off-speed pitches, he’s getting on top of fastballs. He’s doing a lot really well. He feels good. We’re going to keep him going. But when he’s out there playing like this, we’re just a much better team. He’s a great player and he feels great right now with what he’s doing.”

Buxton is clearly grateful for his health but noted he takes the season one day at a time and only focuses on what’s in his control.

“Every day, you ain’t going to feel good. Every day, you ain’t going to feel bad. So take it how they come,” he said. “I’m not saying a word about it, I’m not jinxing it. Take it one day at a time.”

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