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Twins hold off White Sox to avoid sweep

Aug 31, 2011 - 10:39 PM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Jason Kubel and Luke Hughes each blasted two- run home runs in the first inning as the Twins held on to take a 7-6 victory over the White Sox to avoid a three-game sweep.

Scott Diamond (1-2) allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while fanning five through six innings to earn his first career victory.

"This is an unbelievable accomplishment. I really couldn't have done this without the guys on the team," Diamond said about his first win.

Joe Nathan allowed two runs in the ninth, but left the game-tying run on the bases to earn his 12th save of the year.

Jake Peavy (6-7) allowed six runs -- all in the first inning -- on eight hits in five innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out four.

Brent Lillibridge hit a two-run homer for the White Sox, who had their season- high tying five-game win streak snapped.

Chicago remains six games back of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central. The two clubs start a three-game set in Detroit on Friday.

In the ninth, pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza greeted Nathan with a double before Omar Visquel worked a pinch-hit walk. A Juan Pierre groundout moved the runners to second and third, and Paul Konerko made it a one-run game when he slapped a single just inside the line in shallow right field. But Alex Rios was caught looking at a called third strike on a slider up in the zone to end the game.

The Twins jumped all over Peavy early. Trevor Plouffe smacked a one-out double off the wall in left-center field in the first inning and came home when Joe Mauer followed with a ground-rule double. Michael Cuddyer plated Mauer with another ground-rule double before Kubel blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall. After a Danny Valencia strikeout, Rene Tosoni singled to right and Hughes followed with the Minnesota's second two-run homer of the frame, giving the Twins a six-run advantage.

"You go out there some day with pretty good stuff and some days you don't have that good of stuff. I thought I had good enough stuff today to compete," Peavy said about his outing.

Pierre worked a two-out walk in the third inning before Lillibridge sent a ball into the left-field bleachers to make the score 6-2.

The White Sox made it a three-run game in the sixth on Konerko's RBI double, but Jason Repko answered with a solo shot off of Jason Frasor in the seventh.

Glen Perkins started the eighth for Minnesota, and after a Pierre base hit and a Konerko walk, Rios sent a single up the middle, scoring Pierre. Perkins fanned Alexei Ramirez before Dayan Viciedo loaded the bases with a single to center field. Tyler Flowers followed with a liner to third, but Valencia was able to make the grab and the game-tying runs were stranded on the bases.

Chicago ended the game hitting 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven men on base.

Game Notes

Mauer's knocked in the 500th RBI of his career with his run-scoring, ground- rule double in the first inning...Peavy is now 0-5 in his last seven home starts...Minnesota had lost its last five games against Chicago prior to Wednesday's win...The White Sox recorded their fourth consecutive non-losing month with a 16-12 record in August...Minnesota ended a dreadful August with a 7-21 record.