Tony La Russa expressed disappointment in Yermin Mercedes after his designated hitter swung at a 3-0 pitch in the ninth inning of a game the Chicago White Sox were leading 15-4 at the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Mercedes smashed the 47 mph pitch over the center-field fence for his third hit of the game.

"Big mistake," La Russa said. "The fact that he's a rookie, and excited, helps explain why he just was clueless. But now he's got a clue."

The Twins were pitching infielder Willians Astudillo at the time. He got behind Mercedes 3-0 before basically lobbing the ball to the plate. Mercedes crushed it, then celebrated with his teammates while his manager seethed.

"I took several steps from the dugout onto the field, yelling, 'Take, take, take,'" La Russa recalled. "The way he was set up, it looked to me like he was going to swing.

"I was upset because that's not a time to swing 3-0. I knew the Twins knew I was upset. ... He missed a 3-0 take sign. With that kind of lead, that's just sportsmanship and respect for your opponent."