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Peavy hopes to pitch ChiSox to sweep in finale with Twins

Jul 25, 2012 - 1:07 PM (Sports Network) - Veteran right-hander Jake Peavy can help the Chicago White Sox complete the turnaround from five-game losing streak to series sweep today, when they host the Minnesota Twins in the finale of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.

The White Sox, who've led the American League's Central Division for much of the season, fell out of first place over the weekend when they were swept by the Detroit Tigers as the Tigers assumed a 1 1/2-game lead.

Chicago gained a half-game back in the series opener Monday while the Tigers were idle, then evened things up Tuesday with an 11-4 rout of the Twins while Detroit was losing, 3-2, in Cleveland.

Adam Dunn went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and four RBI for the White Sox, who scored nine runs in their final two at-bats.

Dunn sparked a four-run seventh inning by smacking a game-tying two-run blast off Twins reliever Tyler Robertson.

Paul Konerko followed with his fourth hit, and Alex Rios doubled prior to Dayan Viciedo's go-ahead, two-run single against the ineffective Casey Fien (1-1).

Dunn added a two-run double in the eighth against an embattled Minnesota bullpen that failed to hold a lead behind Cole De Vries, who gave up a solo homer to Konerko and an unearned run in his six-inning start.

"The bullpen just had a little trouble," De Vries said. "It was unfortunate because I thought we were going to take one."

Fellow rookie Jose Quintana was not as effective, allowing four runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings.

"If someone's going to win this division and it's not us, we'll make them earn it," Konerko said.

The Twins, despite getting two homers and four RBI from Josh Willingham, fell for third time in four games and dropped to 4-14 in their last 18 games against their division foes.

Peavy, a 31-year-old Alabama native, is 2-3 in seven lifetime starts against the Twins, with the last coming on June 25.

In that game, he dropped a 4-1 decision after allowing 10 hits and three runs in six innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.

He's started four times since and has lost three of four decisions, prolonging a stretch that's seen him win just once - on July 6 against Toronto - since opening the season 6-1.

In his most recent outing on July 20 in Detroit, he gave up four runs in seven innings of a 4-2 loss to the Tigers.

For Minnesota, righty Nick Blackburn seeks a 10th career win against Chicago.

The 30-year-old from Oklahoma fell to 9-7 in his 19th meeting with the White Sox on June 27, dropping a 12-5 decision after being touched for six runs on nine hits in five innings.

He's picked up no-decisions in a pair of starts since - at Detroit and Kansas City - while allowing 15 hits and seven runs in 10 2/3 innings.

The Twins won both games and are 8-2 in the last 10 he's pitched.

Chicago won two of three games in a pair of previous 2012 series against the Twins - the first in Chicago in May and the second in Minnesota in June.

The teams split 18 games last season.