The Minnesota Twins dropped a 4-1 decision to the Chicago White Sox on Friday, September 4, 2026, in a division matchup that turned on three Chicago home runs and a Minnesota offense that could not convert when it mattered. Zebby Matthews took the loss for Minnesota after surrendering all four White Sox runs in five innings, while Erick Fedde earned the win for Chicago by keeping the Twins off the board through the first five frames. The result was a three-run defeat that reflected a night where Minnesota simply could not answer every time Chicago put a ball over the fence.
White Sox Power Three Home Runs to Secure Win
Chicago did its damage in bunches. Miguel Vargas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and one RBI. Colson Montgomery followed with a 1-for-4 night that included a home run and two RBI, giving him the biggest offensive contribution of any batter in the game. Braden Montgomery added a third home run for Chicago, also going 1-for-3 with one RBI. Tristan Peters rounded out a productive Chicago lineup by going 2-for-3 without an extra-base hit, adding contact production to complement the power numbers around him.
Combined, those three home runs accounted for all four Chicago runs. Minnesota had no answer for that kind of power production, and the final margin of three runs reflected how completely Chicago controlled the scoring column.
Zebby Matthews Struggles to Limit Chicago's Power
Matthews went five innings for Minnesota, allowing four earned runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The home run ball was the story — all four of his earned runs came via the long ball. Matthews showed the ability to miss bats, but his inability to keep the ball in the park proved decisive.
The Minnesota bullpen kept things from getting worse. Taylor Rogers worked one inning, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one. Garrett Acton followed with two clean innings, striking out two and allowing only one hit. Neither Rogers nor Acton allowed a run, which at least preserved the deficit and gave the offense a theoretical path back into the game — a path the lineup could not find.
Minnesota Offense: Hits Without Results
The Twins were not without their bright spots at the plate. Kody Clemens went 3-for-4, the most productive offensive performance for Minnesota on the night. Royce Lewis added a 2-for-4 effort. Josh Bell provided the only Twins run, going 2-for-3 with a home run and one RBI.
Despite those individual contributions, Minnesota managed just one run on the night. The Twins put the ball in play but could not string together enough damage in any single inning to threaten Chicago's lead. Clemens reaching base three times without a run scoring captures the night's frustration in a single line.
Fedde and Chicago Bullpen Shut Down Minnesota
Fedde was efficient through five innings, holding the Twins to three hits and two walks while striking out two and not allowing an earned run. He gave Chicago's bullpen a comfortable lead to work with. Hagen Smith then delivered two sharp innings out of the Chicago bullpen, striking out three while allowing two hits and zero walks. Bryan Hudson added a clean inning, and Grant Taylor closed things out, allowing one earned run in the ninth but finishing the game for Chicago.
Minnesota's offense faced a stiff challenge all night. Fedde's five scoreless frames followed by Smith's two-inning stint made a comeback increasingly unlikely as the game moved to the late innings.
What's Next for the Twins
Minnesota will look to respond in the continuation of this division series against Chicago. The Twins will need to find a way to generate more run production against White Sox pitching — specifically converting baserunners into actual runs. Friday's loss demonstrated that individual hit totals mean little when they cannot be clustered into scoring opportunities. The pitching staff kept the deficit at three, but the offense never manufactured the kind of inning that would have made the bullpen's work matter.
