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Twins-White Sox Preview

May 19, 2009 - 4:55 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Minnesota (18-20) at Chicago (15-21), 8:11 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox were both happy to end their most recent road series, but their struggles may not be over yet.

After both teams were swept in four-game sets over the weekend, the AL Central rivals look to break out of their respective slumps as they open a three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday.

The White Sox (15-22) took two of three from the Twins (18-21) at U.S. Cellular Field from April 10-12. Since then, they've won only two series. They are back home after a 1-6 road trip, which concluded with a 3-2 loss at Toronto for their fifth straight defeat and 12th in their last 15 contests.

"Hopefully we leave this horrible trip (behind us)," manager Ozzie Guillen told the White Sox's official Web site. "We play better at home (8-8). I don't remember having a road trip like this before."

The White Sox have scored only eight runs during their losing streak and are second-to-last in the AL with a .246 batting average. On Monday, Jim Thome hit his 548th career home run in the eighth inning to tie the game, but reliever Octavio Dotel gave up a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the inning.

Chicago was 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position to finish the series 2 for 23. A.J. Pierzynski batted 1 for 12 (.083) in the series, Alexei Ramirez was 2 for 14 (.143) and Jermaine Dye went 3 for 15 (.200) over the four games.

"I think we've got guys at the plate just trying too hard and I'm one of them," Pierzynski said. "We're just trying to do too much."

The Twins' weekend in New York didn't go any better. Minnesota was swept by the Yankees, dropping the first three on walk-off hits before losing the finale 7-6. Minnesota has lost eight straight road games against the Yankees and 23 of their last 26 there.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Minnesota's Denard Span said. "Not just the stadium, but the whole city."

Span homered on Monday while Justin Morneau had four hits to help the Twins rally from a 6-2 first-inning deficit. After Michael Cuddyer's RBI groundout in the ninth brought the Twins within one, Carlos Gomez walked, but Mike Redmond grounded out to end the game.

The Twins have lost seven straight on the road and are a league-worst 4-12 away from the Metrodome. They've scored 21 runs in their last seven road games and were 4 for 38 with runners in scoring position in the four losses at New York.

Mark Buehrle (5-1, 3.00 ERA) will take the mound for the White Sox after he allowed a season-high four runs and seven hits over seven innings of a 4-0 loss to Cleveland last Wednesday.

The left-hander is 22-13 with a 3.79 ERA against the Twins, including 12-6 at home. He faced Minnesota on April 12, allowing one run and two hits over 6 1-3 innings of a 6-1 victory.

Scott Baker (1-4, 6.95) counters for the Twins. The right-hander allowed five runs and seven hits over six innings of Minnesota's 6-5 win on Thursday, not factoring in the decision.

Baker is 3-2 with a 6.81 ERA against the White Sox.

Twins third baseman Joe Crede, who spent nine seasons with the White Sox, was 1 for 9 against them in April, hitting a home run in his first at-bat.