Twins top White Sox to snap skid

The Sports Xchange
CHICAGO – Oswaldo Arcia did exactly what his manager wanted Saturday night and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox because of it.
Arcia lined a double the opposite way in the eighth inning, scoring two runs with two outs and putting the Twins on top for good in an 8-6 win at U.S. Cellular Field.
Minnesota’s bullpen made the slim lead hold up and the Twins (49-60) snapped a three-game losing streak. They also split the first two games of a three-game series, making the finale today the rubber match.
“He can drive the ball all over the ballpark,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of the 23-year old Arcia, who brought a .217 batting average into the game but went 2-for-4. “That was big for our baseball team, but it was big for him too. He shortened his swing a little bit. He drove that baseball. That ball was hit really hard.
Before the game, Gardenhire said Arcia was swinging for the fences too often, “trying to hit everything 8,000 feet.”
Arcia’s double off Chicago right-hander Jake Petricka in the eighth certainly didn’t go 8,000 feet, but it went far enough to score pinch runner Eduardo Nunez and catcher Kurt Suzuki with the tying and go-ahead runs. White Sox left fielder Alejandro De Aza got his glove on it, but the ball was too high over his head to pull in for the out.
“He can do those things,” Gardenhire said. “We’ve seen him do it. He’s just got to get in the right mind-set.”
It capped an impressive rally for the Twins, who’d blown a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning by allowing four runs and five hits – including the third of three doubles by Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton that tied it 4-4. Eaton also scored that inning to give Chicago its first lead of the game at 5-4, and the Sox added a run on a single by shortstop Alexei Ramirez.
Chicago right-hander Ronald Belisario (4-8) couldn’t hold the lead, allowing three runs, two hits and plunking left fielder Josh Willingham in Z\c inning. He was charged with the loss, which halted a three-game win streak for the White Sox (54-57).
“There’s nights where he looks a lot better,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “Anytime you hit somebody, you get in that situation, rough night. I tried to go to Jake (Petricka) right there and end it, and we weren’t able to do that. Come back (Sunday) and start over.”
Twins right-hander Ryan Pressly (1-0) picked up his first win of the season by closing out the seventh with a scoreless Z\c inning. Left-hander Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his 27th save.
Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and center fielder Danny Santana (3-for-4, three runs) hit a solo home run in the ninth for an insurance run.
“I think that’s kind of something we’ve done all year,” Plouffe said of the eighth-inning rally. “We’re not a team that just gives up and falls over, so I wasn’t surprised that happened. Our bullpen’s been solid for us all year long. Tonight we had to pick them up and that’s something we’re proud of.”
MIN ab r h bi CHW ab r h bi
Santana cf 4 3 2 1 Eaton cf 5 1 4 2
Dozier 2b 4 1 1 0 Beckham 2b 5 1 2 2
Plouffe 3b 5 1 4 2 Abreu 1b 3 0 0 0
Wllnghm lf 2 0 0 0 Dunn dh 4 0 0 0
Nunez pr 1 1 0 0 Konerko ph 1 0 1 0
Suzuki c 4 1 1 1 Ramirez ss 5 1 2 2
Vargas dh 4 1 2 0 Gillspi 3b 4 0 0 0
Arcia rf 4 0 2 2 Viciedo rf 4 1 1 0
Parml 1b 4 0 0 0 De Aza lf 3 2 2 0
Escobar ss 4 0 0 0 Nieto c 2 0 0 0
Sierra pr 0 0 0 0
Flowers c 0 0 0 0
Totals 36 8 12 6 Totals 36 6 12 6
Minnesota 201 100 031 - 8
Chi. White Sox 001 100 400 - 6
E-Al.Ramirez 1. LOB-Chicago 8, Minnesota 5. 2B-Arcia (9), G.Beckham (24), De Aza (13), Eaton (19), Plouffe (31). HR-Al.Ramirez (11), D.Santana (5).
IP H R ER BB SO
Minnesota
Pino 6 Z\c 7 4 4 2 5
Duensing BS, 2 0 1 1 1 0 0
Burton Z\c 2 1 1 1 0
Pressly W, 1-0 Z\c 0 0 0 0 0
Fien H, 19 1 1 0 0 1 0
Perkins S, 27 1 1 0 0 0 1
Chi. White Sox
Carroll 7 7 4 4 2 4
Belisario L, 4-8 H, 11 Z\c 2 3 3 0 0
Petricka BS, 2 X\c 1 0 0 0 0
D.Webb 1 2 1 1 1 1
Inherited runners-scored-Burton 1-1, Duensing 2-2, Pressly 2-0, Petricka 2-2. HBP-Willingham (by Belisario). WP-Carroll (4).
Umpires-Home, Gary Cederstrom; First, Kerwin Danley; Second, Mark Ripperger; Third, Dan Bellino.
T-2:58. A-27,446 (41,432)