• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Kubel, Twins club White Sox

Jul 6, 2007 - 11:04 PM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Friday's game at U.S. Cellular Field resembled a football score, but it did not involve the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears.

Jason Kubel's grand slam capped a six-run fourth inning as the Minnesota Twins belted 21 hits to outslug the Chicago White Sox, 20-14, on Friday in the first game of a doubleheader.

Kubel's blast to center gave Minnesota a 12-4 lead and chased Chicago starter Jon Garland (6-6), who allowed a season-high 12 runs on 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

"We were able to put some good swings on some of (Garland's) balls, and find some holes," Kubel said. "Everybody in general had good at-bats, hit some hard balls and got a lot of runs in."

Finishing with a career-high seven RBI, Kubel helped the Twins scored 20 runs for the first time since they plated 23 in a win over Cleveland on June 4, 2002.

"It was a good win for us, a lot of good performances offensively," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It was crazy. I didn't know we were going to play a football game."

Minnesota, which added four-run frames in the first and seventh, scored in every inning except the sixth and ninth to win for the second time in six games.

Chicago, which scored in every inning except the first and fourth, hurt itself with five errors.

"We made a couple of errors, but I don't think (Garland) helped himself," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I think it was the worst outing since I've been manager here. It was not a good baseball game."

The Twins' run support was more than enough for starter Scott Baker, who didn't pitch particularly well himself. Baker (3-3) labored through five innings, allowing a season-high seven runs on nine hits.

"(Baker) didn't locate, and he didn't have a breaking ball," Gardenhire said. "He got whacked. He didn't throw the ball very good. The ball was flying everywhere."

Minnesota's bats were alive from the start.

Joe Mauer, who had four hits, a career-high five RBI and four runs scored, started the offensive onslaught with a two-run double in the first inning.

"It was a funny game," Mauer said. "It's good to come out with the win, (but) it's not good to give up as many runs and hits as we did. Some crazy things have happened out there, and it seems like you always see something new."

Luis Castillo, Jason Barlett, Justin Morneau and Torii Hunter, who blasted his 18th homer of the season in the third, all had three hits for Minnesota.

Paul Konerko and Jim Thome hit home runs for Chicago. Rob Mackowiak had four hits, three of which came off Baker, to improve to 8-for-8 lifetime against the Twins' righthander.

The teams were playing the doubleheader as part of a makeup for a rainout on April 6.