White Sox 11, Twins 0
Paul Konerko went 5-for-5 and Mark Buehrle pitched seven strong innings as the Chicago White Sox avoided a sweep by pounding Carl Pavano and the Minnesota Twins 11-0 Thursday.
Mark Teahen added three hits and two RBIs and Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox, who pounded out 21 hits to move back within four games of the Twins atop the American League Central. After defeats in the first two games of the series, Chicago needed a win to avoid dropping six games back after holding the lead in the division just nine days ago.
The White Sox came out hot on Thursday, pushing across two runs in the first and two more in the third against Pavano (15-8), who entered the game having won six of his last seven starts. Chicago kept the pressure on, pounding Pavano for seven runs on 15 hits in six innings – one of his worst outings of the season.
Konerko was at the center of it all. He scored a run in the third, bashed his 31st homer of the season in the fifth, singled in a run in the seventh and doubled in two more with his fifth hit in the eighth.
Buehrle (12-9) was sharp throughout, allowing only five hits and walking one while striking out four. The veteran left-hander induced 13 groundouts.