Long homer proves a harbinger for Dunn
Solo homer on Tuesday paves the way for two more on Wednesday
MINNEAPOLIS -- Adam Dunn's start to the season hasn't been a memorable one, with his batting average stuck in the sub-.200 range for the majority of the year. But the White Sox slugger shook off an 0-for-14 slump with authority in Tuesday's 4-2 victory against the Twins, launching his seventh home run 413 feet into the left-field stands.
The homer was the payoff Dunn had been looking for. His comfort level at the plate had improved slightly in the past week, but he wasn't getting positive results. On Monday, Dunn connected for a towering drive to center field, but Twins rookie Aaron Hicks made an impressive leaping catch at the wall.
One day later, Dunn got a break to go his way when he crushed a slider from Twins starter Kevin Correia.
"The last couple days, we tinkered with some things and I've hit some balls good," Dunn said. "Hopefully, it's the start of something good."
Dunn picked up where he left off in Wednesday's 9-4 victory, connecting on a two-run shot in the third inning and a second two-run homer in the eighth.
"I have nothing to blame," Dunn said. "I feel great. My body feels great. Everything feels like it's supposed to. I just haven't been able to get the results.
"It was good to see that at least for a couple games now, that the little tweaks and changes I've made in my setup … we're getting some results out of them."
Dunn had labored to find some semblance of consistency at the plate, watching his average drop to .137 with 48 strikeouts in 124 at-bats this season. The rocky start is similar to his first two months with the White Sox in 2011, when he hit .185 with five home runs.
Dunn has remained levelheaded throughout the slump, and he seemed to be a bit more at ease Tuesday after picking up a big hit, despite striking out twice afterward. That manifested itself in his big-time game on Wednesday.
"Guys who play long enough always end up going through something like this. I expect him to get out of it," manager Robin Ventura said. "It's kind of the same as seeing guys with a track record who aren't doing it right now. You expect them to get out of it."