Twins 7, White Sox 6
Jason Kubel and Luke Hughes went deep in a six-run first inning, and Minnesota made it hold up as the Twins played the spoiler role in a 7-6 triumph over the host Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
The loss to the division-rival Twins dropped the White Sox six games back of first-place Detroit atop the American League Central. The Indians are second, 5 1/2 games behind.
The Twins jumped all over Chicago starter Jake Peavy (6-7), roughing him up for five extra-base hits in the inning. Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer hit back-to-back ground-rule doubles to open the scoring, and Kubel followed with a two-run shot to left field for his 12th homer of the year.
Hughes followed suit three batters later, hitting a blast over the left-center field wall for his seventh of the campaign and fourth in the last six games.
That made for an easy afternoon for Twins starter Scott Diamond (1-2), who limited the White Sox to three runs on three hits over six innings for his first major-league victory.
Joe Nathan allowed a two-run single to Paul Konerko in the ninth inning but held on from there for his 12th save.
Peavy settled down after the rough start, charged with six runs on eight hits over five innings.