A Sweep Of The Sox? You Can Put It On The Board!

(Sports Network) – Delmon Young continued his career season with three hits, including a two-run homer, as Minnesota moved one step closer to a division title with an 8-5 victory over Chicago, finishing off a three-game sweep at U.S. Cellular Field.

Young, batting. 300 on the nose this season, also scored twice, while Michael Cuddyer also drove in a pair of runs. Carl Pavano (17-11) picked up the victory, giving up five runs on eight hits with one strikeout and two walks over five-plus frames. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 13th save, as Minnesota won its fourth straight game. The Twins magic number is now 8 to clinch the division.

Paul Konerko, who was hit by a pitch in the lip during his first at-bat, homered for the White Sox. Mark Buehrle (12-11) was saddled with the loss after giving up six runs on eight hits over five frames.

Pavano, Buehrle Battle In Series Finale Tonight

(Sports Network) – The Minnesota Twins are closing in on their second straight American League Central crown, and their play against the Chicago White Sox has been a big reason why. Tonight the Twins will try to get their magic number to single digits, as they attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

 

The Twins have had the upper hand in the series this season, having taken 12 of the 17 matchups, including wins in nine of the last 11 overall meetings and six of the eight games contested in Chicago.

That trend continued on Wednesday when Minnesota upped its advantage to eight games in the division and lowered its magic number to 10, as Joe Mauer’s three-run homer started a string of three consecutive three-run innings, and lifted the Twins to a 9-3 win.

Mauer went 3-for-4 and scored twice for the Twins, who have won 11 of 13 in September to take a stranglehold on the division. Minnesota is also a major league-best 41-16 since the All-Star break.

Jim Thome added two hits and two RBI, while Denard Span, Danny Valencia and J.J. Hardy each finished with two hits and an RBI. Brian Duensing (9-2) yielded just two runs on nine hits and a walk in six frames to earn the win.

Carlos Quentin hit a two-run homer for the White Sox, who have lost six of eight. Gavin Floyd (10-13) fell to 0-4 with an 8.06 ERA against the Twins this year after allowing six runs, nine hits and two walks in 5 1/3 frames.

“It seems like everything is going their way…They just find a way,” Floyd said of the Twins.

Hoping to complete the sweep tonight for the Twins will be right-hander Carl Pavano, who will be trying to win 17 games for only the second time in his career and first time since winning a career-best 18 in 2004 while with Florida.

Pavano, though, has lost four of his last five starts and absorbed the loss on Friday in Cleveland, despite allowing two runs and six hits in eight innings. He is 16-11 on the year with a 3.47 ERA.

Dogged by injuries and inconsistencies for most of his career, Pavano has been extremely durable for the Twins this year, pitching six or more innings in 26 of his 29 starts and seven or more in 20 of 29. He’s also managed quality starts in 20 of his 29 outings.

Pavano is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the White Sox this year and 5-3 with a 3.49 ERA against Chicago in eight career starts.

The White Sox, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Mark Buehrle, who has dominated the Twins over the course of his career, going 25-17 with a 3.98 ERA in 46 games, 44 of which have been starts.

Buehrle’s last win came against the Twins back on August 19, when he scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings. He is 0-1 in four starts since and is 12-10 on the year with a 3.99 ERA.

Mauer, Duensing Lead Twins To 9-3 Thrashing Of White Sox

(Sports Network) – Joe Mauer’s three-run homer started a string of three consecutive three-run innings, and the Minnesota Twins routed the Chicago White Sox, 9-3, to take command of the AL Central.

Mauer went 3-for-4 and scored twice for the Twins, who have won 11 of 13 in September to take a stranglehold on the division. With 17 games left, Minnesota’s magic number to clinch is down to 10, as it has an eight-game lead over Chicago.

The Twins have dominated the White Sox in the season series, 12-5, including nine of the last 11. They’ve also won 10 of their last 12 games at U.S. Cellular Field.

Jim Thome added two hits and two RBI, while Denard Span, Danny Valencia and J.J. Hardy each finished with two hits and an RBI. Brian Duensing (9-2) yielded just two runs on nine hits and a walk in six frames to earn the win.

Carlos Quentin hit a two-run homer for the White Sox, who have lost six of eight. Gavin Floyd (10-13) fell to 0-4 with an 8.06 ERA against the Twins this year after allowing six runs, nine hits and two walks in 5 1/3 frames.

Both teams squandered a bases-loaded opportunity early, with the White Sox failing in the second and the Twins in the third. The pitchers matched zeroes until Minnesota finally broke through with a two-out rally in the fifth.

After Floyd retired the first two hitters, Span singled to center and stole second. Orlando Hudson was able to reach on an infield single up the middle, setting up Mauer’s bomb to the seats in right-center for a 3-0 lead.

Chicago squandered a Juan Pierre one-out double in the home half, and the Twins doubled their lead in the sixth.

Michael Cuddyer was hit by a pitch, and Thome sent Cuddyer to third with a single to right. Delmon Young’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0, and Valencia doubled Thome over to third.

Hardy kept the rally going with an RBI single, ending Floyd’s outing, and Chris Sale allowed an run-scoring single to Span for a six-run margin.

Quentin’s two-run homer got the White Sox on the board in the home sixth, but Thome’s two-run single and Valencia’s sacrifice fly in the seventh put Minnesota ahead, 9-2.

Alexei Ramirez tripled and scored on an Alex Rios single to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

The Twins are 42-20 against the AL Central this season, while the White Sox are 30-35…Minnesota is just one game behind the Rays for the majors’ best record…The Twins went 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position, compared to just 2-for-13 for Chicago…Young notched his 100th RBI for the first time in his career.

Duensing, Floyd Take The Mound Tonight

(Sports Network) – The Minnesota Twins are closing in on their second straight American League Central crown, and their play against the Chicago White Sox has been a big reason why.

Tonight the Twins will try to separate themselves even further from the White Sox as the division rivals continue a three-game set at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Twins have had the upper hand in the series this season, having taken 11 of the 16 matchups, including wins in eight of the last 10 overall meetings and five of the seven games contested in Chicago.

That trend continued in the opener of this set on Tuesday, as J.J. Hardy drove in the decisive run in a two-run seventh inning to help Minnesota to a 9-3 victory. Hardy finished with two doubles and scored a run for the Twins, who now lead the White Sox by seven games with 18 to play.

Joe Mauer added three hits to raise his career total to 1,002, while Denard Span drove in four runs for Minnesota. Delmon Young added a homer and scored twice in the victory.

“We’ve been through this, but on the other side,” Span said. “We’re not taking anything for granted. We’re going to take it one day at a time and take care of what we need to take care of, and that’s win the division.”

Francisco Liriano (14-7) won his eighth consecutive decision after allowing three runs, six hits and three walks while fanning seven in six innings.

Alexei Ramirez had two hits and two RBI for the White Sox, who have lost five of seven to damage their playoff hopes. John Danks (13-11) lost for the third time in four starts after yielding four runs and nine hits in seven frames.

“We’ve had our opportunities, and we have nobody to blame but ourselves for where we’re at,” Danks said. “But we’re going to battle. We’re not going to lay down.”

Getting the call for the Twins tonight will be left-hander Brian Duensing, who is 8-2 with a 2.02 earned run average. Duensing had not earned a decision in his last two starts before getting a win last Wednesday, despite allowing just one earned run in those previous outings. Duensing beat the Kansas City Royals in his latest start, holding them to a run and six hits in eight innings while striking out seven without walking a batter.

Since joining the rotation on July 23, Duensing has gone 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in nine outings. He is 3-0 in nine games (three starts) with a 2.40 ERA against the White Sox.

Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with righty Gavin Floyd, who has lost two of his last three starts to fall to 10-12 on the year. Floyd was defeated in Detroit on Thursday, as the Tigers battered him for six runs (five earned) and 13 hits in six innings to raise his ERA to 3.91.

Floyd has faced the Twins 12 times and is 4-7 with a 4.93 ERA.

Span's Big Night Leads Twins Past White Sox

(Sports Network) – J.J. Hardy drove in the decisive run in a two- run seventh, and the Minnesota Twins distanced themselves from the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central with a pivotal 9-3 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

Hardy finished with two doubles and scored a run for the Twins, who now lead the White Sox by seven games with 18 to play. A key to that commanding lead is the 11-5 record Minnesota has against Chicago, including eight of the last 10 between the clubs.

Joe Mauer added three hits to raise his career total to 1,002, and Denard Span drove in four runs. Delmon Young added a homer and scored twice in the victory.

Francisco Liriano (14-7) won his eighth consecutive decision after allowing three runs, six hits and three walks while fanning seven in six innings.

Alexei Ramirez had two hits and two RBI for the White Sox, who have lost five of seven to damage their playoff hopes. John Danks (13-11) lost for the third time in four starts after yielding four runs and nine hits in seven frames.

Twins, White Sox Open Huge Series In Chicago

(Sports Network) - The Minnesota Twins can take a big step towards securing their second straight American League Central crown this week as they start a critical three-game series against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Twins, who hold a six-game edge on the second-place White Sox, have had the upper hand in the series this season, winning 10 of the 15 matchups, including wins in seven of the last nine overall meetings and four of the six contested in Chicago.

"It's going to be a fun, fun series," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's what baseball is all about. Guys right behind you and it's September and it's games that mean something. It's what it is all about. That's why you play the game -- to be playing these types of games. They are all that for us because you are trying to win a division. But with Chicago, it's always fun."

Minnesota continued to be one of the hottest teams in baseball over the weekend, as it took two of three from the lowly Cleveland Indians to win for the eighth time in its last nine tries.

"You feel like you have to win every game, no matter whether you're on top or the bottom," said Gardenhire. "That's the way it is in September. Every game you are like, 'Oh my, that's the one that could cost us.' So you try not to lose it, and that's what we do -- is try to win them all."

The Twins secured the series win on Sunday, as Kevin Slowey allowed two unearned runs in five solid innings, and Minnesota used a five-run first inning to win the rubber match, 6-2, at Progressive Field.

Slowey (12-6), making his second start after a stint on the disabled list, allowed six hits while fanning five and walking none for the Twins.

"I was able to make a couple pitches when I needed to, and I was fortunate to have some great plays made behind me," Slowey said. "When they put five runs up early, you don't have to be quite as fine."

Michael Cuddyer had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, as six different players scored and five different players drove in a run for the Twins in the win.

Hoping for that kind of support this evening will be left-hander Francisco Liriano, who has quietly put together a terrific season, going 13-7 with a 3.24 earned run average. Liriano won his seventh straight decision last Tuesday against Kansas City, as he held the Royals to a pair of runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Liriano, who has allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last three starts and has pitched to a 2.22 ERA over his 10-game unbeaten streak, was roughed up a bit by the White Sox the last time he faced them. He did not get a decision against Chicago on August 18, but surrendered five runs and six hits in five innings of a 7-6 win. He is 2-3 lifetime against them with a 5.64 ERA in 10 games, seven of which have been starts.

Chicago, meanwhile, will counter with a left-handed 13-game winner of its own in John Danks, who has lost two of his last three starts. Danks absorbed the loss in Detroit on Wednesday, as he allowed five runs (two earned) and eight hits in six innings. He is 13-10 on the year with a 3.54 ERA.

Danks did not get a decision the last time he faced the Twins, despite allowing five runs and 11 hits in seven innings, but is 6-6 in 18 starts against them with a 5.05 ERA.

Chicago took two of three from the Kansas City Royals over the weekend, but comes into tonight's tilt having lost four of its last six games. On Sunday, though, the White Sox pulled out a series win, as Andruw Jones' pinch-hit grand slam capped a six-run sixth inning and led Chicago to a 12-6 victory.

Paul Konerko hit a pair of two-run homers and drove in five in the win for the White Sox.

Sergio Santos (2-0) earned the win after 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. It got starter Lucas Harrell off the hook after he was charged with nine hits and six runs with three walks over 3 1/3 innings. He gave up six runs in the opening inning.

"When you're down 6-0 and you come back to win the game and they don't score a run again, it's kind of that positive momentum you need heading into the next series," Santos said. "Minnesota is on fire now. Hopefully we can keep playing baseball the way we're capable of playing and gain ground."