SB Nation Chicago - Sox Hang On For Ninth In A Row, 8-7 Over Twinshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48877/chicago-fave.png2010-07-16T04:05:00-05:00http://chicago.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13353712010-07-16T04:05:00-05:002010-07-16T04:05:00-05:00Juan Pierre Goes 3-for-4 In Win
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<p>Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) – Gordon Beckham hit a solo home run and drove in two as the Chicago White Sox took an 8-7 win over the Minnesota Twins to begin the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Juan Pierre went 3-for-4 with an <span class="caps">RBI</span> and two runs scored while Alex Rios added a pair of sacrifice flies for the White Sox, who are on a nine-game winning streak.</p>
<p>John Danks (9-7) went six innings in the win as he was charged with six runs on nine hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts.</p>
<p>Since June 8, Chicago has won 26 of its last 31 games to surge into first place in the AL Central, one game ahead of Detroit.</p>
<p>Joe Mauer hit a three-run double and went 3-for-5 with a run scored while Denard Span, J.J. Hardy and Nick Punto each had an <span class="caps">RBI</span> and a run scored for the Twins, who have dropped five of their last six.</p>
<p>“They executed pretty well at the top of the lineup and that’s what got them going today, between Pierre and (Omar) Vizquel. I think that was the key to them winning today,” Span said.</p>
<p>Kevin Slowey was tagged for five runs on nine hits in just three-plus innings. Alex Burnett (1-2) was tagged the loss for giving up three runs in an inning of work.</p>
<p>Chicago plated two runs in the first inning on sacrifice flies from Rios and Carlos Quentin. The White Sox then doubled their lead in the second as Beckham homered and another sac fly from Rios brought home Juan Pierre for a 4-0 lead.</p>
<p>“That’s how you draw it up, keep the line moving,” Pierre said. “It was a good team effort.”</p>
<p>Minnesota, though, surged ahead in the bottom of the second with a six-run frame. With two outs and two on, Hardy, Punto and Span each hit <span class="caps">RBI</span> singles. After Orlando Hudson walked to load the bases, Mauer cleared them with a double to left for a 6-4 lead.</p>
<p>Chicago got one back in the fourth when Alexei Ramirez led off with a double and came home when Beckham followed with a single to make it a 6-5 game.</p>
<p>The White Sox then went back on top in the fifth. With men on first and third, Burnett was called for a balk and Quentin came home. A.J. Pierzynski followed with a double to score Mark Kotsay and later scored on a Pierre groundout for an 8-6 lead.</p>
<p>Minnesota got a leadoff double from Orlando Hudson to start the seventh, but the team was unable to bring him home as the next three batters recorded outs.</p>
<p>The Twins then loaded the bases in the eighth with three consecutive two-out singles, but Bobby Jenks was summoned from the bullpen and struck out Hudson to end the inning.</p>
<p>Mauer doubled off of Jenks to start the ninth and Delmon Young brought him home with a two-out single to make it a one-run game, but Jenks got Jim Thome looking at strike three to pick up his 20th save of the season.</p>
<p>Each team has won three games in the season series thus far…Gavin Floyd takes the mound for Chicago on Friday and will be opposed by Francisco Liriano…Danks improved to 5-6 against the Twins…After the game, the Twins placed placed first baseman Justin Morneau on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 8) with a concussion. The team recalled pitcher Jeff Manship from Triple-A Rochester.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/7/16/1572667/juan-pierre-goes-3-for-4-in-winHilary Lee2010-07-15T12:07:10-05:002010-07-15T12:07:10-05:00Sox, Danks Open Second Half Vs. Twins In First Place
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<p>(Sports Network) - An eight-game winning streak propelled the <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago White Sox</a> to the top of the American League Central at the All-Star break. Tonight, they put that streak on the line against a division foe, as they open a four- game set with the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Minnesota Twins</a> at Target Field.</p>
<p>With their manager and general manager feuding, the <a href="https://www.southsidesox.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">White Sox</a> were 9 1/2 games out of first place back on June 8. However, wins in 25 of their final 30 games before the break has them a half-game in front of the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Tigers</a> in the Central.</p>
<p>"I think it is a shock just because the way the team was playing, how many games we were out of first place. It's a shock how quick we did it," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I know we are going to compete this year and hopefully we stay the same way we are right now. We put ourselves in a pretty nice spot and see what happens the rest of the summer."</p>
<p>Starting pitching has been the difference for Chicago, which has received quality starts in 27 of its last 31 games.</p>
<p>"We've been pitching well," Guillen recently said. "All five [of our starters] give our team a chance to win."</p>
<p>Left-hander <span>John Danks</span> gets the call for Guillen's crew tonight, as he tries to follow up a brilliant effort his last time out. Danks took a no-hitter into the seventh and tossed a two-hit shutout to beat the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Angels</a> of Anaheim last Thursday, striking out seven without walking a batter to improve to 8-7, while lowering his earned run average to 3.29.</p>
<p>He has allowed three runs or less in all but one of his past six starts.</p>
<p>Danks, though, lost to the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a> the last time these teams met and is 4-6 lifetime against them with a 5.03 ERA.</p>
<p>As hot as Chicago was heading into the break, the Twins were just as cold, losing five of their final seven games to slip 3 1/2 games back in the Central.</p>
<p>Of the Twins' five division titles in the last eight years, just one of them have come with the team holding the top spot at the break.</p>
<p>Trying to get Minnesota on track this evening will be righty <span>Kevin Slowey</span>, who is 8-5 with a 4.64 ERA. Slowey was roughed up in his last start on July 7 in Toronto, as he allowed five runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings. However, he did not get a decision in that one, despite his team's 6-5 setback.</p>
<p>"He's frustrated just like everybody else," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've got a few of those guys that have to right their ships. But going and making wholesale changes on guys that we've put our stock into, I don't know about that right away."</p>
<p>Slowey lost to the White Sox the last time he faced them and is 2-3 against them with a 5.66 ERA in seven games, six of which have been starts.</p>
<p>Minnesota has won three of its five matchups with the White Sox this season.</p>
https://chicago.sbnation.com/2010/7/15/2317900/sox-danks-open-second-half-vs-twins-in-first-placeAl Yellon