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Twins-White Sox Preview

May 20, 2009 - 5:04 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (18-21) at Chicago (15-22), 8:11 p.m. EDT

If John Danks is looking for a spark to help end his recent struggles, he need only think back to the last time he faced the Minnesota Twins.

The left-hander hopes to avoid a fourth straight defeat while helping the White Sox extend the Twins' season-high losing streak to six games Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.

After allowing two runs in his first three starts, Danks (2-3, 4.82 ERA) is 0-3 with an 8.84 ERA over his last four outings.

The 24-year-old Danks, who went 12-9 with a 3.32 ERA in his second major league season a year ago, gave up seven runs and nine hits in three innings of an 8-3 loss at Toronto on Friday.

"I wish I had an answer for it," Danks told the White Sox's official Web site of his slump. "(I) go out there thinking about giving us a chance to win games."

Though Danks is 3-3 with a 5.61 ERA in eight starts against the Twins, his most recent will go down as one of the more memorable moments in White Sox history.

In the tiebreaker to decide the AL Central champion on Sept. 30, Danks allowed two hits in eight innings of a 1-0 win over Minnesota to clinch the division title and send Chicago to the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2005.

"I think it's one of the best games he's ever thrown," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.

The way the Twins (18-22) have fared lately, Danks could be in for another successful outing.

Chicago won 6-2 in Tuesday's series opener for its third straight victory over Minnesota, which is a major-league worst 4-13 on the road.

The Twins have lost eight in a row away from home for the first time since a nine-game skid June 30-July 17, 2003. They will match their longest overall losing streak from all of last season with a loss Wednesday.

"A little frustrating right now. We had a little meeting after the game," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Tuesday. "It's getting a little quiet on the bench and that's not acceptable. We're all about nine innings and getting after it. So we had a little bit of a talk about that."

Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye homered, and Jim Thome added a two-run double for the White Sox (16-22), who snapped a season-high five-game losing streak while winning for the fourth time in 16 games.

Chicago scored two fewer runs Tuesday than it did during its recent five-game skid.

Thome is batting .252, but is 10 for 22 (.455) with three homers and eight RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.

Joe Mauer homered for the Twins and is batting .406 (26 for 64) with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 17 games since coming off the disabled list (kidney surgery). He is 8 for 15 versus Danks.

Minnesota will be without outfielder Delmon Young until at least Friday after his mother passed away Monday. He is batting .277 with 14 RBIs.

After an 0-4 start, the Twins' Francisco Liriano (2-4, 5.21) tries for a third straight victory in this contest.

He allowed one run and four hits while striking out six and walking a career-high six batters Friday, but he didn't factor in the decision of a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees.

The left-hander - 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in his last four starts overall - is 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA as a starter against the White Sox. The last time he faced them, Liriano gave up five runs and walked four in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-0 loss at Chicago on April 11.