CHICAGO — The Minnesota Twins arrived at the Rate on Memorial Day to open a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox, with both clubs trying to turn near-.500 records into something more durable. The White Sox entered at 26-26. The Twins came in at 26-27.
First pitch was scheduled for 1:10 p.m. Central, with 80° and sunny weather expected and only very light wind toward left. Chicago planned to start left-hander Anthony Kay, while Minnesota turned to right-hander Zebby Matthews in a matchup that gave the afternoon a little more shape than the standings did.
Kay brought a 4.27 ERA into the game, but his recent work had been steadier. He had allowed three earned runs over his last three starts, though he also issued seven walks across 16 1/3 innings — about one free pass every two innings. Matthews’ season line looked sharper. He carried a 1.38 ERA into his third start of 2026 after throwing 13 innings, walking one batter and striking out 11.
That contrast mattered because both teams have spent much of the spring living in the space between surprise and proof. The White Sox were already in the wild-card mix despite the even record. The Twins were there too, even while sitting one game under.500. For clubs in that position, a holiday series opener is less about ceremony than leverage: win the first game, and the whole four-game set starts to feel different.
Minnesota’s lineup also reflected a team still sorting itself out. Alex Jackson was behind the plate in his second big league game, another sign the Twins are still working through pieces as they try to hold position. On the other side, Rikuu Nishida was in right field and batting ninth for Chicago after a quick jump from Charlotte, where he had been hitting.347.
The matchup also offered a contrast in how each team has arrived here. Matthews was coming off the kind of early-season start that can change how a rotation is viewed, after recovering from a 5.56 ERA in 2025 to post that 1.38 mark in 2026. Kay, by comparison, was leaning on improved recent results to keep his place at the front of the day’s conversation. That made the game less about who had the cleaner record and more about which starter could keep a small edge from becoming a real one.
For Minnesota, the day came with one more moving part. Brooks Lee was set to move to third base as the club planned its next step at shortstop, another reminder that the Twins are still making adjustments while they chase a place in the standings. By the time the first pitch came around, the stakes were plain: a holiday crowd, a four-game series, and two teams that have made being around.500 look almost like a destination. What follows in the series may say whether that is enough.
