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White Sox hope to build on AL Central lead

Jul 31, 2008 - 10:32 AM Chi White Sox (60-46) at Minnesota (59-48), 8:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Chicago White Sox hope to make their lead atop the National League Central a little more comfortable when they face the Minnesota Twins on Thursday in the finale of a four-game series.

Carlos Quentin drove in four runs as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over the Twins on Wednesday, keeping the top spot in the division. Alexei Ramirez added a three-run homer for Chicago, which also snapped a five-game losing streak in Minnesota.

The White Sox regained a 1 1/2-game edge over the Twins in the Central. They have been in first place since May 17 and for 101 days total this season.

"We have to take it one day and see what happens," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "The good thing about this ballclub; the way we lost yesterday and everybody was talking about the way we lost. All of a sudden, it's about how you bounce back. We swung the bat well, we pitched well, we made the plays and that's our expectation."

Losing the first two games of the four-game series in Minnesota didn't put the White Sox into panic mode.

"We lost two games and it gets trickled down to a half-game lead and it's like, 'Oh man, they're coming back'," Chicago's Nick Swisher said. "We don't really think that way. We kind of take each game a day at a time and there is still a lot of baseball left to be played."

Hoping to inch closer to that coveted spot at the top of the division, the Twins will send righthander Scott Baker (7-3, 3.38 ERA) to the mound. The 26-year-old Baker has won five of his last six decisions.

The White Sox will counter with lefthander John Danks (8-4, 3.18), who has not lost since May 24 - posting a 4-0 record over that span.