• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Humber shines as ChiSox edge Twins in DH opener

Sep 5, 2011 - 9:36 PM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Philip Humber tossed seven scoreless innings to lead the White Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Twins in the opener of a doubleheader.

Humber (9-8) fanned six and scattered six hits to earn the win in his first start since returning from the disabled list on Saturday.

"It feels like years since I had a win," said Humber. "The guys did a great job getting those early runs and I got a lot of ground balls."

Alexei Ramirez and Alejandro De Aza each had an RBI, and Juan Pierre went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the White Sox, who were swept by the AL Central- leading Tigers over the weekend.

Sergio Santos allowed a Luke Hughes sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth before Chris Sale recorded the game's final out to record his sixth save of the season.

Anthony Swarzak (3-6) was the hard-luck loser in the opener of this four-game series, allowing two runs on seven hits over eight innings. He struck out four and did not issue a walk.

"[I] battled out there and had great defense behind me today, but just didn't come out on top," said Swarzak.

De Aza pushed across the game's first run in the top of the second, following an A.J. Pierzynski double and a Dayan Viciedo single with an RBI fielder's choice grounder to second.

An inning later, Pierre scored from first on Ramirez's double down the left field line, giving the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Humber, in his first start since taking a line drive off his forehead on August 18, retired the first six batters he faced. He left runners at first and second in the third and stranded Michael Cuddyer at third base an inning later.

He did not allow another Twin to reach scoring position until the seventh, when singles by Danny Valencia and Hughes placed runners at first and second with one down. But Rene Rivera grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.

Matt Thorton tossed a scoreless bottom of the eighth and recorded the first out of the ninth before handing the ball to Santos, who walked Valencia and allowed a single to Brian Dinkelman before giving up Hughes' sac fly. Sale struck out pinch-hitter Jason Repko to end the game.

Game Notes

Humber picked up his first win since July 2...The White Sox currently sit in third place in the AL Central, 8 1/2 games behind the division-leading Tigers, who defeated the second-place Indians, 4-2, on Monday...Chicago has won four straight in Minnesota for the first time since May 23 - July 4, 2004...Prior to the game, the Twins selected the contracts of Dinkelman and pitcher Kyle Waldrop from Triple-A Rochester.