Buxton, Larnach homer to help the Twins beat the White Sox, 6-3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach homered help the Minnesota Twins beat the last-place Chicago White Sox 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Larnach hit a solo shot in the sixth, his second blast in two games, to make it 4-3. Buxton hit a two-run homer an inning later as Minnesota won its second straight in the series.

Chicago scored all three of its runs in the fifth, one on a wild pitch and another on an error by second baseman Luke Keaschall. Minnesota tied it in the bottom of the inning on Brooks Lee's sharp single that drove in Ty France.

Twins starter David Festa was pulled after facing two batters in the fifth, marking the third time in three starts that the right-hander didn’t make it through five innings. He allowed two runs — his first runs allowed this season — on four hits and three walks.

Justin Topa (1-1) worked the sixth for the victory, and Danny Coulombe threw the ninth for his first save.

Chicago's Bryse Wilson made his first start of the year after appearing in relief in nine games this season. He was lifted after 55 pitches in 2 2/3 innings, giving up just one run on five hits. Jordan Leasure (0-1) took the loss.

Buxton, who was 0-4 with three strikeouts in his first four at-bats, homered off Cam Booser in the bottom of the seventh to make it a 6-3 game. He jumped on the first pitch he saw and connected for a 414-foot drive to left-center field.

Keaschall stole two bases Wednesday and has five steals in his first five career games, matching an MLB record for most stolen bases through five games.

Right-hander Shane Smith (0-1, 2.82 ERA) will look to salvage a win in the series for the White Sox. Minnesota counters with Chris Paddack (0-2, 7.27), who had his best start of the year last time out in a no-decision.

Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) reacts after being hit by a pitch seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Chicago White Sox's Joshua Palacios (47) hits a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25), left, tries to field a single hit by Chicago White Sox's Miguel Vargas (20) during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Luke Keaschall (15) beats the tag by Chicago White Sox shortstop Jacob Amaya (8) to steal second base during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Bryse Wilson (46) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher David Festa (58) winds up to deliver during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Chicago White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi (23) tries to catch a double hit by Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers (27) during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton (25) runs the bases after hitting a 2-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

New Jersey Transit urged riders to reach their destinations before the end of the day Thursday or risk being stranded as last-minute talks continued in a bid to avert a rail strike by train engineers that would affect some 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City.

The labor dispute is stressing out some Manhattan commuters and already disrupting travel to Shakira concerts Thursday and Friday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Amid the uncertainty over whether the strike would happen, the transit agency canceled train and bus service at the stadium.

The system's advisory provided riders with details on contingency plans that would take effect if engineers walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. EDT Friday. The agency plans to increase bus service, saying it would add “very limited” capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

However, the agency noted that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers — only about 20% of current rail customers — so it is has urged people who can work from home to do so if there is a strike.

NJ Transit — the nation’s third largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. A walkout would halt all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City’s Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.

Wages have been the main sticking point of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union says its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union’s data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

If the walkout happens, it would be the state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years. It comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management.

The parties met Monday with a federal mediation board in Washington to discuss the dispute, but both sides and the board have declined to comment on whether any progress has been made in subsequent talks this week.

An electronic display advises commuters of NJ Transit service disruptions at the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An electronic display advises commuters of potential NJ Transit service disruptions at the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An electronic display advises commuters of NJ Transit service disruptions at the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An NJ Transit train pulls into the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An electronic display advises commuters of potential NJ Transit service disruptions at the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)