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Twins-White Sox Preview

Sep 13, 2010 - 5:51 PM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (85-58) at Chicago (79-64), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Despite facing a sizable deficit in the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox claim they are loose heading into their series with the division-leading Minnesota Twins.

The second-place White Sox look to trim the Twins' six-game lead in the opener of their final head-to-head series Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

Minnesota (85-58) and Chicago were tied atop the Central when they opened a three-game set at U.S. Cellular on Aug. 10. The Twins took two of three and are 22-9 since the start of that series, while the White Sox (79-64) have gone 16-15.

Chicago is 5-10 against Minnesota this season, and 2-4 at home where it has dropped eight of 10 to the Twins.

The White Sox likely need to sweep this series to give themselves a realistic chance of catching Minnesota, but the club is taking a relaxed approach.

"We've got nothing to lose," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "There's no pressure on us and we shouldn't play with any pressure ... It's really the Twins' to lose.

"We know it's uphill, (but) you can't sweep unless you win the first one."

The Twins, however, are poised not to let the White Sox make up any ground.

"We feel like we need to win every game in September," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've been there before, chasing. Whether you have the lead or are trying to catch up, you want to win."

Both teams have scored 72 runs in the season series. Minnesota is hitting .306 in the 15 games, while Chicago is at .297. The Twins, however, are 7-2 in one-run games between the clubs in 2010.

"This is the time of year when you have to do it," Gardenhire told the Twins' official website.

Francisco Liriano (13-7, 3.24 ERA) has gone 2-0 with a 4.07 ERA in four starts versus Chicago in 2010, and 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two at U.S. Cellular.

The left-hander has faced the White Sox three times in his last 10 starts, a stretch in which he's 7-0 with a 2.22 ERA. He allowed two runs in seven innings of a 10-3 victory over Kansas City last Tuesday, setting a career high for wins and moving to 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his last three outings.

The White Sox's John Danks (13-10, 3.54) can establish a career best for victories in the opener. He has gone 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA in five starts versus Minnesota this season, and 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two at home.

The left-hander, however, has posted a 5.71 ERA while losing two of his last three outings. Danks allowed five runs - two earned - in six innings of a 5-1 defeat at Detroit on Wednesday.

Michael Cuddyer is batting .467 (21 for 45) with five homers against Danks and .486 with nine RBIs in his last nine games versus Chicago. Joe Mauer is hitting .349 (15 for 43) against Danks, and .421 with two home runs and 12 RBIs versus the White Sox in 2010.

Konerko has homered three times in the last two games, hitting two and driving in five runs in a 12-6 win over the Royals on Sunday. That helped Chicago rally from a 6-0 deficit after one-half inning.

Though he is batting .390 with four homers and 12 RBIs against the Twins this season, Konerko is 4 for 17 versus Liriano in his career. The four hits, however, are two home runs and two doubles.