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White Sox, Twins start set at Target Field

Aug 5, 2011 - 2:52 PM (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox had hoped to make some noise during a recent homestand against a trio of playoff-contending clubs, but managed just three victories over the brutal 10-game stretch.

Owners of a six-game losing streak, the Pale Hose are now set for three straight series against non-contending clubs but still draw a tough assignment tonight with the opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

Though the Twins sit fourth overall in the American League Central, 1 1/2 games behind the White Sox, Minnesota has dominated this series over the past few seasons. The Twins have won 31 of the past 39 meetings between the clubs and own a 23-6 record at home versus the White Sox since the start of the 2008 season.

Minnesota has won seven of the eight matchups this season, sweeping a rain- shortened two-game series at home in mid-June.

A trip to Target Field is probably the last thing the White Sox want after their 3-7 homestand against the Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees. They wrapped the residency by getting swept in four games versus New York, with Thursday's 7-2 defeat marking the first time they were swept at home in four games since Aug. 23-26, 2007.

Adam Dunn homered in yesterday's loss and Paul Konerko had two hits in his return to the lineup. Konerko had missed three straight games due to a bruised left knee and calf.

His return could not get Chicago into the win column after Philip Humber allowed four runs over 6 1/3 innings of work.

"You definitely hate to lose a series, much less get swept," Humber said. "You gotta give those guys a lot of credit. They played the game better than we did."

Following this series, the White Sox will battle a pair of last-place clubs in Baltimore and Kansas City and turn to Mark Buehrle tonight in this opener.

Buehrle will try to keep his impressive run going as the veteran hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in 16 straight starts and is unbeaten in seven in a row since a June 16 defeat at Minnesota.

Buehrle is 2-0 over his run and failed to earn a third straight winning start on Sunday versus Boston despite giving up just two runs over six innings. The White Sox dropped a 5-3 decision, snapping a string of six straight victories when Buehrle starts.

The veteran lefty is 8-5 with a 3.21 earned run average this season and gave up just one run over seven innings in that setback at Minnesota. He also faced the club on July 9 at home and gave up three unearned runs over eight innings of a no-decision. The 32-year-old's 25 wins over the Twins are the most against any team he has faced in his career.

Nick Blackburn outdueled Buehrle in that June meeting by scattering seven hits across eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory. He then beat the White Sox on July 8 even though he allowed five runs in five innings, moving to 9-5 lifetime in this series with a 3.72 ERA.

The right-hander hasn't won since his last meeting with the White Sox and has allowed 12 earned runs over back-to-back losing starts in Texas and Oakland. Blackburn lasted 2 2/3 innings versus the Rangers on July 25 in a 20-6 defeat, getting charged with nine runs, six earned, and then allowed another six earned runs on 10 hits and five walks over 4 1/3 frames against the A's on Saturday.

"He's a sinkerballer, and sinkerballers are gonna be that way," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of Blackburn. "He's going to get groundballs, but they're either going to go at somebody or in holes. We've said that all along. I think, right now, he's not trusting his sinkerball enough, and has been throwing an awful lot of breaking pitches."

The 29-year-old fell to 7-8 with a 4.49 ERA this season.

Minnesota comes into this set on a sour note after losing for the fourth time in five games on Thursday with a 7-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Jim Thome provided the lone run with his 598th career homer.

Francisco Liriano took the loss for allowing all seven runs over five innings, but Gardenhire did not put it all on his starter afterwards.

"We missed a lot of plays defensively," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It's hard to figure how Frankie threw the ball. Five runs came after two double plays that should have been turned. It was just one of those nights we didn't make plays behind him. It was a tough night for us."

Thome, meanwhile, has hit safely in nine straight games and has driven in a run in five in a row. It marks his longest hitting streak since another nine- game run from July 5-19, 2009 and he is aiming to become the eighth player in league history to reach 600 career homers.

Two of Thome's five hits in 25 career at-bats versus Buehrle have been home runs.