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Twins top White Sox in Youkilis' debut

Jun 26, 2012 - 4:51 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Francisco Liriano outpitched Jake Peavy and the Twins beat the White Sox, 4-1, in Kevin Youkilis' debut with Chicago.

Youkilis went 1-for-4 in the opener of this three-game series, one day after being traded from the Boston Red Sox for utilityman Brent Lillibridge and righty Zach Stewart.

"It felt weird being with different guys," Youkilis said. "Thinking of everything that has transpired, the mind was kind of racing a little bit."

His single came after Liriano (2-7) threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while fanning five.

Peavy (6-4), whose earned-run average was three runs lower than Liriano's coming in, was charged with three runs on 10 hits over six frames.

Chicago had won three of four before getting outhit, 14-5, on Monday. Minnesota's top three hitters -- Denard Span, Ben Revere and Joe Mauer -- combined to go 9-for-14 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Liriano, who no-hit the White Sox on May 3, 2001, yielded only three hits in the first six innings. He gave up a leadoff double to Alex Rios starting the seventh, and a wild pitch and a one-out walk put runners on the corners,

The left-hander limited the damage to one run on Alexei Ramirez's sacrifice fly, and Minnesota got the run back in the bottom half.

With the bases loaded and one out, Rios made a terrific shoe-string catch on Trevor Plouffe's fly ball to short right. He nearly doubled off Justin Morneau at first, but Paul Konerko was off the bag, and Mauer scored for a 4-1 lead.

Glen Perkins worked around Youkilis' one-out single in the eighth, and Jared Burton, filling in for injured closer Matt Capps, worked a scoreless ninth to secure his second save in as many games.

"The first one of the series, you definitely want to get that," Perkins said. "We need to win series to try to get back in it."

The Twins scored in their first at-bat, as Span led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and raced home on Mauer's sac fly.

The hosts added two more in the second, one coming when Rios' throw to third got away from Youkilis. Rios was trying to nab Plouffe going from first to third on Brian Dozier's single to right, but the short-hop got past Chicago's new third baseman and allowed Plouffe to score.

Two batters later, Jamey Carroll knocked in Dozier with a base hit to center.

Game Notes

Capps hit the disabled list Monday with right shoulder inflammation. The Twins recalled pitcher Tyler Robertson from Triple-A Rochester to take his place on the roster...Revere had four hits for the second time in four games...Peavy is winless in five June starts (0-3)...Liriano came in with a 5.74 ERA...Josh Willingham was the only player in the Twins' lineup without a hit.