Offense leads White Sox past Twins

CHICAGO – Jose Abreu kept on hitting and the Chicago White Sox overcame a pair of blown leads to beat the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Abreu went 3-for-3, extending his career-high hitting streak to 21 straight games and played a key role in a four-run eighth inning that led to Chicago’s 10-8 win for its second straight victory and sixth in the past eight games.
Including Abreu, seven Chicago hitters had at least two hits in a 17-hit performance as a team. White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, shortstop Alexei Ramirez went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, center fielder Adam Eaton went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and designated hitter Paul Konerko went
2-for-5 with an RBI-single that tied it 7-7 in the eighth.
Catcher Kurt Suzuki led the Twins by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and rookie first baseman Kennys Vargas went 1-for-5 with a two-run double, making his major league debut on his 24th birthday.
Right-hander Javy Guerra (1-2) got the final two outs in the top of the eighth to earn his first win with the White Sox and right-hander Jake Petricka pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
Right-hander Casey Fien was charged with the first two runs in the eighth and took the loss for the Twins (48-60), who dropped their third straight game and fell to 4-10 since the All-Star break.
Abreu, the Cuban-born rookie, reached base safely in 10 straight plate appearances. He singled and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run in the eighth after moving the tying run to third with his one-out hit. He also singled and scored in the sixth to make it 6-5, the White Sox’s second lead of the game, and drove in a run in the fourth with a single.
The Twins rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 6-5 and did surprisingly well against Chicago ace left-hander Chris Sale, who didn’t factor into the decision after allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits in six innings.
Left-hander Logan Darnell started and lasted only four innings for the Twins, taking a no-decision.
Chicago struck first by scoring two runs with two outs in the second inning against Darnell, highlighted by right fielder Moises Sierra’s triple that brought home left fielder Alejandro De Aza from first base.
The Twins countered with their big inning during their next trip to the plate, scoring five times off Sale in the third to make it 5-2.
After retiring leadoff hitter Danny Santana, Sale allowed five straight hits and a fielder’s choice to plate the five runs – including back-to-back doubles by catcher Kurt Suzuki and Vargas.
MIN ab r h bi CHW ab r h bi
Santana cf 5 0 0 0 Eaton cf 4 2 2 1
Dozier 2b 4 3 3 0 Beckham 2b 5 0 1 0
Plouffe 3b 5 1 3 0 Abreu 1b 3 2 3 1
Wllnghm lf 5 1 2 1 Konerko dh 5 0 2 1
Nunez pr 0 0 0 0 Viciedo pr 0 1 0 0
Suzuki c 4 1 2 3 Ramirez ss 5 2 2 2
Vargas 1b 5 1 1 2 Gillspi 3b 5 0 1 1
Colbllo dh 3 0 0 1 Flowers c 4 1 2 2
Arcia ph 2 0 0 0 De Aza lf 5 1 2 1
Parml rf 4 1 1 1 Sierra rf 4 1 2 1
Escobar ss 4 0 2 0
Totals 41 8 14 8 Totals 40 10 17 10
Minnesota 005 000 111 - 8
Chi. White Sox 021 111 04x - 10
E-Darnell 1, K.Vargas 1. LOB-Chicago 0, Minnesota 0. 2B-E.Escobar (27), Gillaspie (25), Al.Ramirez (19), K.Suzuki (21), K.Vargas (1). 3B-Sierra (2). HR-Flowers (7), Parmelee (5). CS-Sierra (1).
IP H R ER BB SO
Minnesota
Darnell 4 5 4 4 4 4
Swarzak 1 X\c 5 2 2 0 2
Duensing 1 Z\c 1 0 0 0 0
Fien L, 5-5 BS, 3 Z\c 4 4 4 0 1
Thielbar Z\c 0 0 0 0 0
Burton Z\c 2 0 0 0 0
Chi. White Sox
Sale 6 8 5 4 1 7
D.Webb BS, 1 1 2 1 1 0 0
Surkamp Z\c 1 1 1 0 1
Guerra W, 1-2 X\c 0 0 0 0 1
Petricka S, 7 1 3 1 1 0 2
Inherited runners-scored-Burton 2-2, Duensing 2-0, Thielbar 2-0. HBP-J.Abreu (by Darnell), K.Suzuki (by Sale).
Umpires-Home, Dan Bellino; First, Gary Cederstrom; Second, Kerwin Danley; Third, Mark Ripperger.
T-3:47. A-28,060 (41,432)