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Hughes pitches Twins past Sale, White Sox

Jun 24, 2015 - 9:40 PM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Phil Hughes pitched eight solid innings and the Minnesota Twins scored six runs against Chris Sale in a 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Hughes (6-6) pitched his fourth straight quality start, only allowing a run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Brian Dozier and Kurt Suzuki each had two hits, an RBI and a run scored to help the Twins take the rubber game of the three-game set.

"Chris Sale throws a lot of strikes," said Dozier. "We made it a point today that anything over the white of the plate we were going up there hacking, and we did that."

Sale (6-4) came up short in his quest to become the first major league pitcher ever to strike out 12-plus batters in six straight starts. He finished with 10 punchouts and allowed six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings.

"I didn't leave him out there so he could go get a record," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "If he didn't feel like he was strong enough and tired, then he was going to come out."

Adam LaRoche's second-inning home run accounted for Chicago's only run.

Sale was sharp through three innings with six strikeouts and only facing one batter over the minimum. He lost Chicago's 1-0 lead in the fourth, though, when Dozier led off with a double and scored on Torii Hunter's double with one out. After a Trevor Plouffe walk, Eduardo Nunez's two-base hit plated Hunter, and the Twins led 3-0 after Suzuki's sacrifice fly.

Kennys Vargas grounded out to end the inning, and Sale lost a streak of 38 straight innings with a strikeout.

With the lead, Hughes did not allow more than one runner to reach base in any inning and retired nine of the last 10 he faced.

The Twins padded their lead in the seventh with another three-run inning. Suzuki led off with a double and moved to third on Vargas' single. Both runners came around to score when Shane Robinson singled to center field and the ball rolled under Adam Eaton's glove, allowing Robinson to reach third base. Dozier later singled Robinson in to extend Minnesota's lead to 6-1.

Game Notes

Sale is the fourth pitcher since 1914 to strike out 10-plus in seven straight starts. He only allowed three runs in 37 1/3 innings in his previous five starts ... LaRoche's home run was the 17th Hughes has allowed this season in 98 2/3 innings. He allowed 16 in 209 2/3 innings in 2014 ... LaRoche finished with three extra-base hits ... Dozier's double was the 100th in his career ... Chicago starts a four-game series at Detroit Thursday while Minnesota travels to Milwaukee for three starting Friday.